The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-08-14
THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

effort, as far as we can see is made
by the United States authorities to
seize any of these boats, as the
United States customs always are
notified by lis an hour or two before
the boats leave. 1t is a well-known
fact that some of these boats land
within a few hundred yards of the
United States customs Office and
unload without being disturbed. I
know that if conditions were re-
versed we would have all these
boats tied up in less than week"
Can anyone doubt, after reading
such statements, that there is not
only something radically wrong in
Denmark, but in the United States
of America, particularly in the vi
cinity of Detroit and Buffalo?
Of course I am not exculpating
Canada from all blame for the
situation. In many instances, the
Canadian officials have not rendered
all the help they might. But where
our own service has been organized
up to the point of commanding re-
spect and a real appeal as been
made to Canada, we have had re-
spectacle results-in mny instances
very satisfactory ones-from Can
adam officials.
We Are Responsible
There is no Canadian law which
prohibits the expectation of liquor
to the United States. In fact, Can
ada derives a revenue of several
million dollars from it's tax on eX-
ported liquor. But whether Canada
later agrees to revise its treaty with
the United States to prohibit ex-
ports of liquor to our country, or
whether it maintains its present re-
fusal, our own officials can not
avoid their responsibility for the
leak across the border.
The leak will continue, drive or
no drive, dry mobilization or no dry
mobilization, until there is real CO.
ordination and cooperation among
our own forces at Detroit and else
where along their borders.
Detroit is an example of depart
mental jealousy triumphant! The
responsibilities of the customs serv-
ice and prohibition service, and the
state and city police overlap in law
and in it's practical operation. This
condition has become worse in re-
cent years.
The situation is wholly inexcus-
able, because both the customs and
the prohibition service are under
the secretary of the treasury. He
could crack their heads together and
make them play ball. Instead Of
that, there has been a policy OF
vacillation and catering first to
the recommendation of one service
and then the other.
Jealousy Is Handicap
A better focusing of responsible
ity will have to come before there is
any success on the side of the fed
eral government in what headlinerS
term 'the gigantic battle of Detroit"
What really is wrong at Detroit, be-
sides the service OF some dlSnoneSC
men, is that most deadly of mala-
dies of the federal government:
Small departmental jealousies which
results in an utter lack of co-ordi-
mated effort.
Evidence is secured and boarded
in one service. An observation OF
suspicious circumstance by one
officer of the government results in
just a shrug of comment That's
none of my business. The prohibit
ton agents or some other service
ought to tend to that"
When the press, civic bodies, and
citizens complain of smuggling, the
customs service blames the state
and city police; the prohibition
agents blame the customs; the
United States attorney sits in grand
legal isolation, saying What can I