The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1929-06-18
Riot Guns Barred At
Border; LOwman Denies
Hoover Asked Change

Hoover Asked Change
Sawed.off shotguns, machine guns
and 5000 rifles were taboo today as
weapons of prohibition enforcement
along the bloody Canadian border.
The wave of public protest against
recent enforcement killings by Fed
eral agents armed with gangland's
weapons forced this concession from
the Treasury. and 1t was limited to-
day that new and stringent regu.
lations may soon be Forthcoming
which will still further restrict
gun.play.
Under existing Treasury regula.
| tons prohibition enforcement agents
are permitted to use firearms 'in
self defense and to prevent the
commission Of felony"
Can Shoot ANY Rum TOter
Literally interpreted, this means
that any prohibition agent may
use his gun on a person having a
bottle Of liquor on his hip. for the
Jones law made illegal possession
q felony. theoretically. therefore,
under existing regulations. = dry
agent might Kill anyone for carry
Ing q bottle Of liquor and he tech.
nically within the regulations.
The new Treasury order abolish.
ing sawed.off shotguns and re.
stricting the armament OF agents
to their service pistols was hailed
as a victory today by those who
have been protesting against the
recent wave Of killings. And they
are determined to press on for still
further amendment Of the regula.
tons,
Would Substitute Clubs
Representative Brltten R) Of
Illinois, called upon the Treasury
to carry it's order q step further
and require border agents to dis.
card their service pistols and sub.
stitute hickory clubs as weapons.
II hope that Secretary Lowman
will amend his order by substituting
| a strong hickory club for every gun
now carried by his dry agents, "
said Representative Britten The
city policeman finds his billy more
much easier to handle. with no loss
OF life.
Rum Runner Won't Shoot"
"a dry agent won't shoot IL he
hasn't got a gun and a rum sun
ner will never use gun unless he
himself Is being shot at, because
he doesn't want to face q charge
of murder under any circumstances
Tear gas bombs certainly would be
preferable to the gum"
Representative Clancy R) OF
Michigan declared that Lowman's
new anti.shot gun order Clocks like
we've got them confessing."
1T is a step in the right direc
ton" said Representative Pittenger
(R.) of Minnesota, in whose district
Henry Virkula was killed by q Gus
toms officer. THE people along
the border will feel a little more
security, at any rate, as a result OF
the new ORDER
Wants Them Tried
"If Secretary Lowman win only
follow up this admission Of muir
derous use Of guns by dry agents
and insist upon SEINE Of the dry
agents who have murdered innocent
people being tried for murder
maybe the agents will come tc
believe that his anti-shooting order
is worth the paper it is written on,
said Representative Schaefer R.
of Wisconsin.
THE order shows that we whc
have been fighting excessive ust
of firearms by prohibition agents
were right" said Representative La
Guardia (R) Of New York. 1.-The
order to carry only pistols won't
stop the killings--they're a product
of the prohibition system. You've
got to change the system"
Lowman denied fatty today that
his order limiting the armament OF
customs patrolmen on the Canadian
border to service pistols had beer
inspired by instructions from the
White House.
II have had neither direct nor in
direct communication on this subject
from the President" Lowman de,
clared.
The petition from International
Falls, Mimi, citizens, protesting
against the killing of a citizen by
Customs Agent Emmett White, was
sent to the Treasury by the White
House. Lowman also said that 1SG
kilograms had been received by the
Treasury from citizens in the same
community. He did not disclose
| their contents.
"The matter is now up to the
courts" Lowman said.
-
BUCHANAN, Ca. June is u.N.sO
Whatever did, / did my duty,
and / am, no murderer"
In his cell in the county iail
today. Luke Ballenger gave to In.
ternational News Service his first
interview since he was placed there
charged with the murder Of Grady
Phillips.
Phillips was shot by the officer,
It is charged, when the car in which
he was riding failed to stop at
Ballenger's command.
Ballenger thought there was
liquor in the car and fired at the
| tires. he said.
In view of the charge pending
against me-" he said, ION which /
have employed counsel, it would be
improper to make a public state.
ment at this time further than to
say am guilty Of no crime, and
when all the facts are fully de.
Veloped expect a full and com.