Evening star., 1929-06-30
CANADA IN FEAR
Of RUM TANGLE
Officials Doubt Border Con.
ditions Can Continue With
out Trouble With U. S.
Special pispa.eh to The star

Special Dispatch to The star
WINDSOR, Ont, June 2e.-Canads
Is in a dilemma over the rum running
on the Detroit -windsor-Buffalo front.
While the government ana the provin-
cial authorities have each announced
that 1t is none Of their AFFAIR, as the
rum runners are all Americans and the
export Of liquor from Canada is legal,
nevertheless there is strong sentiment
growing up, off1cially and unofnctally,
that the thing cannot continue much
longer without international complica-
tions resulting.
AT the present time there is little
or no direct cooperation between the
United States and Canadian authori-
ties in the Hoover-Lowman drive TO
clean up the border. The dominion gov
eminent has refused to forbid the eX-
port Of liquor to the United States or
to check up on shipments allegedly de-
stined for distant ports but obviously
bound for the American shore.
mot Ontario's Affair"
The deputy commissioner of the
On ario provincial police, who was sent
to Windsor by the attorney general to
investigate the report on conditions, has
stated that it is none Of Ontarios affair
as he found no Canadian engaged in
the business. He further observed that
there was no short circuiting" of
liquor back into Ontario.
The practice of short circuitint' was
at one time a problem along the bor-
def Rum runners would start out from
a Canadian port but return to Canada,
open and sell their cargo. This was
distinctly embarrassing to the Ontario
police, as the sale Of liquor is entirely
in the hands of governmental con-
troll board. and heavy penalties are pre-
scribed for the private sale Of spurious
liquors.
On the other hand there is eviden.
inclination on the part of both the fed
eral and provincial authorities 10 wipe
out the rum runners. The Federal
minister Of customs has announced that
the Dominion will raise no objection
to the posting Of United States prohi-
bition agents on Canadian soil. Deputy
Commissioner Cuddy has gore 50 far
as to recommend that additional pro-
hibition officers be sent to the rum war
front.
Mixture Of Politics.
The affair is of course mixed UP IN
politics. The government Of Ontario is
conservative, the government at Ottawa
liberal. Premier Ferguson Of Ontario
claims that the enforcement Of ex-
port laws is a matter for the federal
authorities. The commissioner of the
Federal police, the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police, says he will not inter-
fere unless she is requested to do so by
the province.
The Law courts seem to have no
doubts as to the position of the rum
runner. In a case which was decided
before the Court Of Appeals a few
months ago, and which Is now COM
mon law. it was held that q partner
ship formed in Canada, by Canadians
to import whisky into the United States
was illegal, as having been formed for
the commission or tnstigation of an
act which was criminal by the law of
a foreign and friendly country"
The difficulties with which the United
States enforcement officers are faced
are numerous, chief among them being
the multiplicity Of the Canadian export
centers and amazing power Of the rum
running fraternity especially since the
gangsters from Chicago and New York
have taken hand in the affair. Ordi.
nartly these gentlemen are aloof from
the actual rum runners. They place
orders with the runners and expect to
have them delivered at the agreed price.
When, however, the United States Gov
eminent steps in and says that the run
ming is going to be stopped, they are
vitality interested and they make moves
to see that their orders are delivered.
Canada's Gun Curb.
AS far as the Ontario police are
concerned, these gun-toters will not be
allowed to carry their arms on Cana
dian soil. The reinforcement Of the
provincial police has that in mind. But
that will not prevent. the escorting Of
liquor cargoes across the river by armed
conveys. The system In widest vogue
at the present time is this: The rum
runners clear from the Canadian side.
All customs regulations rigiCiiv COM
piled with. Somewhere near the Imar.-
nary international boundary line the
rum f1eet Is met by convoy. If a
Coast Guard boat has observed the
maneuver and is too close ct land to
risk running for It, the rum boats
quietly return to the Canadian side. AS
long as the seals are not broken on the
cargoes the Canadian authorities have
no claims against them. They have
merely been unable to proceed to Cuba
or Rio de Janeiro on account CT engine
trouble or bad weather.
what the outcome of the impasse will
be no one here is even conlecturtnr
The rum Is still flowing across the
border, and the runners say that It will
continue to do so. With practically
every Canadian port from Kingston TO
Windsor maintaining a colony Of un-
named speed boat owners, and with the
utmost cooperation from their friends
on the south shore always assured, II
seems unlikely that the flow viii be
stopped unless the Dominion govern
ment can be persuaded to forbid the
export of liquor to the United States
and to require proof that shipments
destined for other countries are deliv-
cred there and no where else.
(CopyriRht, 1921