Evening star., 1925-07-19
CORRUPTION RIFE
|NU. S. DRY FORCE,
INQUIRY REVEALS
Alarming Conditions Dis
closed in Investigation by
Justice Officials.
STATE AND LOCAL AID
DECLARED OFTEN LACKING
Shipment of Liquor Over Railroads
Said to Have Been Faeili-
tated by Employees.
By the Associated Press.


New evidence of corruption in the
enforcement of prohibition has been
disclosed to Federal authorities in nu-
merous instances as a result OF the
efforts of Assistant Secretary An
Grews of the Treasury TO rebuild the
enforcement system.
The disclosures came in reports
from United States attorneys to the
Department of Justice, which had re-
quested of them a statement detailing
for their confidential information an
accurate perspective of conditions
within the Jurisdiction of each pros
ecuting officer.
While Department officials declined
TO discuss the contents of the reports
except in a general way, the infor-
nation contained in some of them was
described as alarming and as indica-
tive of a need for concerted Federal
and State action. No official would
hint, however, as to the possible
course of the Federal Government, but
the statement was made by a high
Department of Justice official that
that department had been given no
funds by Congress with which to make
such Investigations.
SHdTRc W SOhStC C5o.
The departments requests of the
United States attorneys, to which all
except a very few have replied, were
made in order to provide for Mr.. An
drews a definite outline of the weak
spots in the country's prohibition ar
NOR and to supply him with an inti-
mate knowledge of facts concerning
the Federal forces which he is to di-
rect. It was suggested to him that
with this data available he then would
know the particular problem with
which each of his new appointees Is
TO be confronted.
On Department of Justice officials
who studied the reports the deepest
impression was made by the general
inference that State and local au-
thorities were not cooperating with
Federal officials in a majority of in
stances Some of the attorneys felt
the Federal Government was playing
a lone hand in their Jurisdictions. On
the other hand, it was explained thdt
fine help was being accorded the
Government officers in many other
instances and that where such help
was had the dry law was being well
enforced.
1t also was shown in the reports
that a considerable number of Fed
eral prohibition agents were winking
at violations 1t was indicated that
Mr.. Andrews would be supplied with
the names of agents to whom sus-
picion was attached in the reports
and their services ended when the re-
organization becomes effective.
Some Rail Officials Help.
Railroads in some sections of the
country were mentioned in about two
dozen of the reports, and officials
made no effort to conceal their belier
that in some instances minor rail
officials were willing to assist in NOV
ing the contraband. This was said to
constitute a new problem for enforce
ment officials, who generally had felt
in months past that railroads were
cooperating by making known
planned or actual liquor movements.
The requests to the United States
attorneys were drawn up in the form
of a QUESTIONABLE by Mrs. Mabel
Walker Willebrandt Assistant Attor-
ney General in charge of prohibition
matters. She is convinced that the
information already turned over to
Mr. Andrews will enable him to find
some of the cogs that have been slip
ping in the present enforcement ma
chinery, and make the necessary re-
pairs. The Assistant Attorney General
was not prepared however, to say
now Iar the process OF reDullOlnB lnlS
machinery should go.
Ports Principal Problem.
1t appeared from the information
gathered at the Department of JUS
tice that officials there regarded their
greatest problem as confined to half
a dozen spots. Several Great Lakes
cities were known TO have been men
toned in the attorneys reports, and
the conditions depicted by them were
accepted at the department as being
generally accurate"
The Mississippi River also has
proved a channel through which much
liquor has moved from the Gulf of
Mexico, and some of the railroads
serving river points We're reported by
several of the attorneys to be offe-'i
the Federal authorities little or no aid
in their efforts to run down liquor
shipments.
Another section of the country men
toned in the reports as increasing
enforcement difficulties was Florida's
countless inlets and bayous where
refuge for the rum runners is avail
able with the minimum of effort