Imperial Valley press., 1929-12-26
MITCHELL
IN REPLY
TO bORAH
Treasury Department Is
Planning More Effective
Enforcement.
TO TIGHTEN BORDER
Attorney General Says
Personnel Is Jealous In
Doing Duty.

OOlllS Outys
WASHINGTON, Dee. &c U.1-
Plans for more effective enforce.
ment of the Volstead act are being
prepared by the treasury for snbmis-
sion to congress, Under Secretary
Mills said today.
The announcement came from At
! torney General Mitchell and Prohi-
bitioH Commissioner Doran, both of
| whom had issued statements taking
issue sharply with a charge by Sen
ntor Borah, Republican, Idaho, that
prohibition could not be successfully
enforced under the present dry per-
! sonnel
The treasury's plans, Mills said,
call for unification of the border
patrol agencies and for limiting tie
ports Of entry on both the Canadian
and American borders. He said an
! agreement with Canada would be
, necessary to accomplish this.
"lnstead of permitting persons 20
enter the United States from Can
ada at any pont on the international
boundary as we now do" Mills said,
1--WE should designate certain roads
:or entry purposes and prohibit per
sons from crossing the border at any
ether point. Persons are now re-
qrired to report at the nearest cus-
toms house but we have to maintain
o large patrol to see that they do
! So"
Mills said he felt that the joint
! congressional committee which Pres
iaent Hoover asked congress to ap-
point some months ago, would be
the logical agency to which tie
treasury should present its ideas
on prohibition enforcement. the
treaSury's plans, he added, are prae-
tically completed and only await tie
committees selection for presenta-
ton.
Senator Harris, Democrat, Georg-
ia, an ardent dry, agreed today with
the views expressed by Senator
Borah. He declared more money
was needed for prohibition enforce
ment in order that higher type of {.
man could be employed.
| The recent report from Secretary
of Treasury Mellon on the activities
of the prohibition unit under the ad-N
ditional appropriations voted by con-
gress for the current year was not
entirely favorable, Harris contend
ed.
"The report shows they haven,s-
done as much in the last six months
in some places as they did before
they got the additional appropria-
ton" Harris said.
WASHINGTON, Dee. 26. W.n)-
Charges of indifference and ineffi-
cheney among prohibition law en-.
forcement Officers, brought by con-
gressional drys, notably Senator
Borah of Idaho, were answered in
eounter-statemen issued here last
night by Attorney General Mitchell.
81 cannot for the honor of hun
dreds of devoted public servants, al
low 20 pass without protest, whole
sale charge of indifference to prohib-
ition enforcement which has been
leveled against United States attor-
reys, marshals, and other officers of
the department of justice and ap.
pearing in the press this (Wednes-
day. morning." Mitchell said.
His statement clearly was aimed
at the one issued yesterday by Bor.
ah, in which the senator declared
that "with the present personnel
nothing will be accomplished"
Mitchell defended the dry Officers.
"These men are generally known
in their own communities as men of
integrity and courage, doing their
best to enforce the law" he said.
"There have been weak spots; we
have been working hard to eliminate
them.
"From contact with the depart
ment over period of years, l can
state that there never has been
greater zeal and activity in the en-
forcement of law than at the present
time"
The enforcement dispute was
started by congressional drys who
object to tactics pursued by Presi-
dent Hoover's law enforcement com
mission. These drys are asking an
immediate report from the commits
sion, which has indicated its desire
to remain silent until more progress
las been made in its work Of in
vestigating law enforcement prob.
lens.
| President Hoover is considering
request for preliminary report OF
the commission, shortly after the
holidays, to allay the apparent sus.
pieion of drys that the commission
was employed to "bury" the pre-.
hibition issue for time.