Evening star., 1925-10-19
OVERWHELMING
WAR ON SMUGGLING
Tighter Gordon to Keep Out
Holiday Liquors Aim
of Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard is believed to be
planning a new offensive against rum
smugglers along the Eastern and
southern shores from Maine to Texas.
Not only is the objective understood
to be n tighter Gordon along the coast
against the present scattered rum
fleets. but n big drive to keep out the
holiday trade in choice imported
liquors.
Plans for such an offensive will be
mapped out at a conference at Coast
Guard headquarters Wednesday morn
ing, which has been called by Rear
Admiral Frederick c. Billiard, com
mandant of the United States Coast
Guard.
Commanders Ordered Here.
Admiral Billiard has ordered into
Washington for the conference all
commanders of section bases on the
Atlantic and Gulf coasts
Details of what is expected to be
accomplished have not been revealed
nor isrit known whether any sweeping
changes are in contemplation by head
quarters. Field Marshal Lincoln G.
Andrews and Secretary of the Treas
ury Mellon recently expressed them
selves not in favor of shake-up in
one which has just been effected in the
prohibition unit.
But it is known the conference
Wednesday, understood to be the first
of it's kind since prohibition, does have
for its purpose u full discussion of all
administrative and opera ton matters.
Problems particularly incidental to the
law-enforCement work of the service
as they affect section bases will be con-
sidered.
Squadron Disbanded.
Further significance is lent to the
conference of section base COM
manders here by the fact that recent
ly the Coast Guard disbanded it's or
ganization of the special squadron,
which had been under command of
Comdr. w. J. Wheeler. Comdr.
Wheeler has been brought to head
quarters here and the ships. which
compose his comand. have been re-
assigned. it was recently explained to
the authority of officers stationed
along shore.
Whether the section base com
manders who are coming here for
the conference Wednesday are now
in control of most of the Coast Guard
fleet now directed against the rum
Snugglers has not been explained by
officials here, as they are keeping the
exact status of their battle against
the smugglers as nearly in the dark
as possible.
1t is known that recently, with the
departure from northern waters OF
many ships of the rum fleet and their
appearance in the Atlantic off Florida,
the Coast Guard has made plans to
shift its dry armada to follow the
enemy"
Plans Cooperation.
Under the newly reorganized prohi-
bition machine set up by Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury Andrews,
1t IS planned that there shall be close
cooperation between all branches of
the Government having to do with
law enforcement
Looking to this end, Gen. Andrews
appointed to one of his most difficult
posts-that in Florida-Benjamin T
Simmon, said to have much expert
enCe in administration in the Army.
1t Is known to be Gen. Andrews
plan that a new and closer co-opera-
ton be built between his prohibition
administrators, the customs and
Coast Guard.
AS the prohibition unit reoreaniZa-
tion was only completed during the
past week, the meeting of Coast
Guard section base commanders next
Wednesday GENES at a time when
Gen. Andrews has the situation we'll
rounded out on land, prepared to
meet the sea arm with a completed
force