Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-01
u. S. BORDER GUARD
WORK is EXPLAINED.
LoWman Breakfasts Strug-
ole to Protect Americans
Against SmuggIers.

The importance of the measures taken
along her far-flung borders to protect
the interests of the United States was
described in an illuminating manner IN
a radio address last night by Seymour
Lowman, Assistant Secretary OF the
Treasury, who is in charge OF the Coast
Guard and Customs Service.
How America Guards Her Borders
was the subject of Mr.. Lown1ans ao-
dress, which he delivered in the Ma
tional Radio Forum, arranged by Inc
Evening Star and broadcast over the
coast-to-coast network OF the Columbia
Broadcasting System.
Professional SmuggIers Furnish Thrills.
The real thrills" of the service come
in dealing with smugglers for proht,
Mr.. Lowman said. The other class OF
smugglers are travellers, he said, for the
most part women, who just cannot
understand why they should pay duty
on the 1oreign-made t1nery ana Jewels
they bring home"
Mr.. IoWman said the customs agents
usually get their man." but that the
work of guarding the borders would be
more effective under a unified border
patrol. The administration has recon-
mended such step, and bill IS pend
ing in the Senate that would bring the
unification about.
The present patrols are functlonlng
as well as can be expected" Mr.. Low
man said. but the proposed bill would
undoubtedly be much more effective.
The proposal is to move the patrol
right up to the border and require all
persons to enter and leave the country
at regular stations on the border. rms
would prove a convenience TO the traV-
cling public by service at the actual
point of entry"
Under the present arrangement, he
pointed out, the traveller may have to
make a long detour and report lar IN
land to some customs station.
Mr.. Lowman said prohibition had in
creased the work of the border patrols,
but that increased traffic over the Dor
ders was a natural consequence OF good
roads and the automobile.
Few Americans Can Buy Liquor.
Some attribute this enormous travel
70 the supposed American thirst Tor
booze. However" he commented, TO
buy booze in Canada you have to nave
a permit to purchase, and the records
show that less than three out Of every
100 American visitors qualify as buyers"
The address of Mr.. Bowman follows,
THE old-time stories of pirates, buc-
cancers and smugglers are fascinating
to me.
"The battle cry of the buccaneers is
no longer heard along the Spanish Main
or in the West Indies.
"The hidden caves on the coast OF
the British Isles have long since ceased
to be the rendezvous Of pirates and
thieves waiting to fall upon and rob
honest folk.
However, even today smugglers are
q pest to all civilized nations.
america spends millions of dollars
and much effort every year in guarding
her borders on both land and sea
against this class of law violators.
THE Congress has placed the duty OF
guarding our borders on the Bureau OF
Customs and the Coast Guard, in the
Treasury Department.
These two Government activities
have a personnel of nearly $4,000.
Guarding the borders is only part
of their many duties, but 1t Is very
THE new tariff act recently passed
by Congress and signed by President
Hoover, in addition to furnishing reve-
nue. for the support Of Government, is
designed to protect American labor and
promote American industry. These
aims can only be secured by vigorously
enforcing the law and requiring all per-
sons who bring goods into the country
that are taxable to pay the full tax due,
and also by keeping out Of the country
merchandise that is prohibited, such
as convict-made goods, dumped sur
pluses of other nations, and contreband
generally.
Two Glasses of Smuggiers.
'There are two classes Of smugglers,
namely, those who are in the business
for profit and those travellers who try
to escape paying the duty on their own
personal belongings. They are both
violators under the law, and look alike
to me
1.-THE first class are usually skillful,
hardened criminals who are ready TO
use almost any means to accomplish
their purposes. The second class,
mostly women, just cannot understand
wig they should pay duty on the for
eign-made fnery and jewels they bring
home from abroad.
They are usually caught and pun
ished severely in the way of fines and
penalties, but some travellers try the
game over and over again, always APP
parently wondering why they are found
out. One woman this Summer paid
more than 100000 into Uncle Sans
Treasury in duty and penalties on her
return from Europe. She had the
money and could very easily pay, but
many times great financial embarrass-