Evening star., 1925-05-12
$40,0()O,0)O A YEAR
BOOTLEG BUSINESS
SMASHED BY FLEET
BaffIed Rum Row Trying to
Dump Cargoes Abroad at
Bargain Prices.
PACIFIC COAST ALSO
BECOMES AN OBJECTIVE
Whisky at $12 2 Case Available
in Nova Scotia, But 1t Cam
not Get Through.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. May 12.-With a bust
ness that has approached $40, 900. 900
a year smashed by the dry navy's
blockade. Whisky ships fleeing the At
lantic seaboard are beginning to offer
their cargoes in foreign ports at bar
gain rates.
Meanwhile, an effort is being made
to pour liquor into the United States
via the Pacific coast Five 10,000-ton
vessels, flying British and Belgian
flags and stocked with we'll assorted
cargoes, are 40 miles off San Diego,
Calf. Their presence has been re
ported by the Coast Guard cutter
Tamaroa. and officers of the cutter
are quoted as saying that boats of
customers of the rum fleet are too
speedy for the dry navy there, as at
present equipped to overtake.
Up in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia,
whence have come many of the craft
that have sold liquor for thirsty New
Workers in the last four years, liquor
could be bought cheaply from two
SchoonerS, If the Canadian authori-
ties would permit it. Whisky was Of
fered on board yesterday at S12 a
case. and champagne at correspond
1nSlN low rates. presumably the NeS-
sells came from off the New York
coast, driven home by lack of Gus
toners and need of food and water.
They did no business, however as
two Canadian revenue cutters stood by.
In the annual report of the Depart
ment of Commerce, published today,
Secretary Hoover in statistics on the
country's foreign trade last year,
gives S40,000.000 as an estimate of the
Officials connected with the customs
service are said to regard this as
low estimate.
Blockade Expanding.
Presumably the Coast Guard will
extend its activities to prevent the
thirst of Californians being satisfied
in an Illegal manner. When there
We're indications that the rum fleet
was heading south to seek customers
from Baltimore and Washington the
dry navy promptly met the situation.
Latest advices say that 26 Coast
Guard craft are maintaining a tight
blockade off the Virginia Capes, the
dry navy having been doubled since
the blockade off New England, New
York and New Jersey began week
ago today.
Rear Admiral Billiard, commandant
planning further activities. He re-
CARDS it as certain to be a long siege,
and in the Washington office there is
q big map with pins of various colorS
representing the rum craft and those
of his own forces.
Fog has failed to aid the die-hards
of the rum fleet that still linger off
New York. No running of the block
ade has been reported in two days of
heavy mist. To prevent the fog help
ing rum row the dry navy sent Ia
additional armed craft out of New
London.
The increasing activities of the
Coast Guard are being supplemented
by considerable sponging up of liquor
that leaked ashore. Michigan State
police have seized $50 cases of Ca
madam beer in lighthouses near Mount
Clemens. Eight more saloons have
teen closed by Federal padlocksmiths
in New York. and a plant that did
large business in cutting and distrib
uting rye whisky has been raided.