Seward daily gateway., 1925-03-17
Prohibition Director Says
 Law Getting Upper Hand
(By Associated Press)

SAN kANClSCO, Mar. lO.-- ne United States will be one vast Sarah so far as liquor is concerned, within ten years, because of the maritime activities of Uncle Sam's rum-chas- ing fleet, is the optimistic prediction of Samuel F. Rutter. federal prohi- bition director for the state of Cal ifornia
 Rutter predicted that with rum chasers aldeay in use, building or projected, the Atlantic and Pacific coasts would in comparatively short time become almost impassa- ble barriers to the smuggler with a case of liquor, and that with plans now going forward for policing the Mexican and Canadian international borders. there will be no way for smugglers, to operate on land.
 But we're not afraid of working ourselves out of our jobs by the plans We are carrying through to completion. now" he said. 'I be- lieve that prohibition must be en- forced until generation now per haps in the making is willing to drink water or something else the law does not prohibit"
 The laison between the prohibit tion officer on land and the coast guardsman afloat, now being devel oped to a point where 100 per cent efficiency can be confidently pre- dicted, is the answer to the snug gler. Despite the popular approval of the liquor mems methods, which takes the form of fictitious tips giv- en the law officers and laid and comfort" to the smuggler, prohibi- iton is destined to win. Rutter be- lieves.
 Prevention of smuggling on the Pacific coast will be borne by a fleet of 100 fast chasers, twenty-five of which will be ready for service July l. They will be assigned to ports along the coast and their range of duty will be as much water as they can cover. This fleet of 100 guard cutters and other craft which may be assigned to the service from time to time.
 In combating the rum runner, Rutter points out, it has been nee essary for the government to build boats as seaworthy and as swift as those which the runners operate and to procure when possible, seaman of ability equal to the enemy" The runners use small craft of the best type capable of high speed, able to cruise we'll out to sea and take off contraband for shore landing. The elaborate system they use is being met with one just as elaborate by the coast guard.
 One disadvantage suffered by the coast guard is that its cutters must comply with all maritime regula- tions, carry lights and all the rest of it, while runners calmly operate without regard for other craft and even cigarettes are lighted below decks. Sailors chosen by the run ners are paid what they demand, which is a good figure, and the best men obtainable are secured for the work, Rutter has learned.
 Recent successes of the coast guard, such as the capture of the rum ships Quadra and Coal Harbor the idleness enforced upon the Stad acona, another Canadian rum ship which was held off rum row fo1 weeks until her fuel was exhausted and the capture of the Pescawha off the Washington coast, are point ed to by Rutter as indications ci what an augmented coast guard fleet can do, and straws to show which way the wind is blowing. Tha1 much liquor still is being landed prohibition officers do not deny, Dul they assert that it is nowhere neal tae quantity runners formerly con vayed to iand.
 Reorganization of land forces ir California, market for the majority of liquor brought from Canada and Mexico, has aided sea enforcement ir driving dependable whisky from the local market and increasing the activ ities of still operators, who are suf- fering from the drive recently started by Charles Golf, and w. w. Anderson heads of the eighteenth and nineteenth enforcement divisions.
 Captain August Anderson, of thu coast guard, recently summed up tn, situation, when he said that runner! and hijackers are inspired by greed and that only a combination of forces and attention to duty on the part O law officers could match and outweigh that unlawful inspiration.