Evening star., 1926-04-04

ent claims or vets ana
''drys" become, the Government, blaZ-
| ing away at its rum enemy, this
month opens the second year of a new
war. with that brigadier general from
| the Army, Lincoln c. Andrews, AS
| sistant Secretary Of the Treasury, in
| command.
| What the general has accom-
| plished is something he is just now
| busily engaged in determining. Re-
| suits Of his first years campaign in
| terms of figures, gallons, bootleggers.
! alcohol plants. ships. rum runners
| and n hundred other elements are
! being boiled down from a mass of
! reports out of every nook and corner
| of the country. Shortly. perhaps
| this week. the picture may be un-
! veiled.
| When that happens what a dis
| cordant refrain probably will arise
| from the wet and dry camps
! The public. split on prohibition. is
keyed up near the fighting point.
| Already. almost. can be heard the
phantom throbbing Of the tomtoms
| of war-of words "Wets' and "drys."
no doubt will seize upon the same
| figures, the same statement and
| come forth with powerful arguments.
each to support their particular con-
| tention. That is. of course, provided
| they follow the records of the past.
Andrews in Fighting Trim.
But the general himself, who has
so far almost miraculously escaped
| anv wholesale onslaught from the
protagonists of either camp, mean
| time continues 70 saw wood. In
| high.ceilinged, spacious room on the
| second floor of the Treasury, where
| occasionally these cool and snappy
| davs the ruddy glow from a huge
antique fireplace radiates warmth and
! encouragem Gen Andrews is not
| only reviewing the past, directing the
present. but, girding himself for
| fresh battles, is making plans for still
further changes in future admlnlstra-
| ton.
The prohibition machine which Gen.
| Andrews inherited one year ago on
| April /. when he took command, has
! been practically turned inside out.
| Not that old and faithful servants
have been ruthlessly scrapped nor
| wholesale housecleanings made SIM
plv for the purpose of trying an en-
tire new personnel. The skeleton of
the outfit was changed. The plan
was revamped, decentralized and
wherever former experience was like
" to prove valuable it was kept,
though ofttimes in a surprisingly
different place.
Gen. Andrews is really driving a
| curious three-horse team at sea and
ashore: the Coast Guard, Customs and
Prohibition Unit. 1t WAS the Prohibi
ton Unit horse that Gen. Andrews
! changed to one of a different color
The Customs and Coast Guard for the
most part has simply been given freer
| nH IN g
tial appropriations from Congress the
Coast Guard feet has risen TO such ef
fectiveness that rum smugglers have
been resorting lately TO the use OF
sirplanes to assist their Black Fleet
off shore.
Gets Vessels From Navy.
Five more destroyers from the
Navy, 80 more patrol boats of greater
. size than any now in service and flVe
amphibian planes, which are as YER
satile as duck on water. or in air.
have been authorized by Congress and
will he nut into commission as soon
4 as possible Further to strengthen
the Coast Guard, the administration
has pending before Congress bill
for six cruising cutters to be used not
only against rum smuggling, but for
life saving and other activities Of the
Coast Guard.
Thus the Coast Guard under Gen
Andrews and in direct command OF
Rear Admiral Frederick c. Billiard
is on a program of constantly increas
ing intensity against the demon
rum"
The customs have received from
Gen. Andrews no less attention than
any one Of his three-horse team
although wherever possible he is
directing the close coordination OF
this branch with the other two. AT
Savannah, Ga. for instance, where
the most complete coordination has
been achieved, Gen. Andrews has
| placed in charge of all prohibition
activities for the southern section of
the country, NJ A. Dunning, collector
of customs. This, however, has not
been attempted in any other part of
the country in such complete form.
Mounted Police Organized.
One big change, however, would be
effected by plan Gen. Andrews and
others have in mind involving the
customs. A Federal mounted police,
representing all agencies of the Gov
ernment having business at the
border. would be organized under
bill introduced in Congress by Repre-
! sentative Grant NJ. Hudson of Mlchl-
gan. This police force would probably
| he placed under control, not of the
Treasury, which has customs, but of
the Department of Labor, whlcn
| already maintains an eXcellent
mounted immigration patrol armed
to the teeth.
When the administration, through
Gen. Andrews, took hold of the prohi-
hilton unit it took drastic action and,
according to latest indications, the
General is not through yet.
In the first place, the scheme of the
old machine, which was set up along
tbe lines of about fourteen divisions
of general prohibition agents and
state orga nization for each common
wealth. was scrapped. In its place
Gen. Andrews redistricted the country
so as to make his new boundaries
| coincide with those of the judicial
districts. for improved cooperation
with the prosecuting arm of the Gov
| ernment In each of these % new
districts Gen. Andrews has one pro-
hibition administrator in whom is
centered the responsibility. TO these
22 men in the Continental United
States was delegated much authority
of the old regime which had pre-
viously been centered here in Wash
ington. For instance, these men are
now handling the important business
of permits.
Report to Andrews.
Reports from these administrators
constitute the backbone of informa-
ton which Gen. Andrews is under
stood to be digesting for his review of
results, soon to be given to the public.
Although the exact content of these
reports still remains State secret
at the Treasury Department, it is
known that the general, on the whole,
is pleased with their import.
At least he is not going to resign
at the end of his first year. Such q