Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-05
RECORDS broken
BY COAST GUARD
More Lives Saved and More
Ships Aided Last Year
Than Ever Before.

The "war" of the United States Coast
Guard with "lawleSs elements" seeking
to Smuggle intoxicating liquors into the
United States was only one OF many
activities of the old service, whose OPP
erationS involved In saving life and
property from the menace OF the sea,
according to the annual report OF Rear
Admiral F. G. Billiard, commandment.
broke all records of the past.
More lives were saved, more persons
rescued from peril and more ships OF
greater value we're assisted in emer-
gencieS in 1929 than in any previous
fiscal year, the report emphasizes.
E.:- persons saved or rescued from
peril during the year numbered 4.375,
being Ss2 in excess OF the year 1928,
The year 1929 now holds first place in
this activity since the present organiza-
ton of the Coast Guard, in 1915. The
old Life-Saving Service Of the Govern
nent, precursor Of the Coast Guard,
runs back into the early seventies. This
old life-Saving service devised the beach
patrol as distinctly American service,
it was pointed out.
9,2S6 Assistance List.
The total number of instances Of as
Sistance rendered during the past year
was 1926, exceeding last years record
Of 6,846, then the largest in the history
of the service. by 2,440 instances.
OF the 1926 instances of assistance
rendered 4,419 involved the saving of
life or of property, or of both, or what
may be called major assistance, and
4,S67 were Of a miscellaneous character.
The value Of vessels assisted, includ-
ing their cargoeS, was $49, 128,376, being
$S,648,646 in excess Of last years
amount. The number Of persons on
board vessels assisted was 1875, as
against 1888 last year.
Reporting on the war; Of the Coast
Guard against rum-runners, the report
gives no figures. This law enforcement
work. Admiral Billiard says, progressed
very satisfactorily during the year, and
was accompanied by gratifying results"
'This matter" he explained, Con-
tinues to be one requiring the utmost
vigilance and attention at all times. The
service forces are keenly alive to the sit
uation, and are unceaSing In their ac-
tivitieS, af1oat and ashore, to thwart
any attempt to introduce contraband
liquor into the country. Nothing short
of this constant, intensive watchfulneSs
along and adjacent to the shore line
and the cruising over wide areas at sea
by the vessels of the service will serve
to prevent the persistent efforts Of the
Snuggler in forwarding and succeeding
in his design to land liquor on the coast
or in some port disguisedly among the
large volume q legitimate traffic.
Full Service Needed.
"There is no doubt that any lessen
ing of service forces at this time would
be followed by an immediate and CORE
spending increase in liquor smuggling.
Some liquor smuggling Is still going on
along the seaboard, and there remains
q considerable amount Of such SNUG
Cling on the Great Lakes, where SNUG
Cling operations are very active.
cit has been pointed out previously
that it is problem of no mean proper
lions to guard the 10000 miles Of coast
line Of the United States, with its In
let's, bays, sounds, coveS, rivers and
other indentations, almost without num-
Der, offering potential landing places.
against the crafty run-runner who Is
thoroughly familiar with the shore line.
1.-THE service is doing all in every
quarter that can be- done with its pres
ent resources. II the sea and lake