Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-17
DRY UNIT WRECKS
1866 STILLS IN D. c.
AREA IN 7 MONTHS
Increased Wgor by II Agents
Follows Reorganization Un-
der Justice Department.
PROPERTY DYNAMITED
WORTH $1,000, 900
Maryland, as Capital Supply
Source, to Get Brunt of
Enforcement.

Increased vigor in the enforcement
of prohibition in the Washington area,
with Federal agents concentrating on
Southern Maryland, is seen in the per-
Torrance record of the Capital enforce
ment unit for the first seven months
of 1880.
For the period ending July 80 the
IL agents charged with upholding the
Federal enforcement arm in Maryland
and the District of Columbia had de-
stroyed 166 stills.
Greater activity characterized the
first Is days of this month. Almost
on the heels of Col. Amos w. w. Wood
cocks arrival as director of prohibit
ton In the reorganized enforcement
unit under the Department of Justice,
the agents In this district concentrated
their efforts so successfully that 81
stills have been destroyed in the two
weeks.
Eleven arrests were made at these
stills, and the agents destroyed 84,684
gallons of mash. In only one month
since the first of the year have the
agents destroyed more stills. In March
36 stills were destroyed in Maryland,
the State which Is regarded as the
source of 80 per cent of the liquor that
is delivered in the Washington area.
Variance in Number.
The number of stills destroyed in
other months varied as follows: April
IS; May, Is; June, %, and July, rs. It
has beens emphasized informally that
there have been no orders given for an
enforcement drive" in the Capital
vicinity.
There are indications, nevertheless,
that in enforcement efforts from now
on the reorganization will be felt to the
extent that Maryland as source of
alcohol and liquor will bear the full
brunt of the Federal activity. In that
connection, 1t is pointed out that Col.
Woodcock has said that STEADY pres
sure against the sources of liquor
meaning the stills and the forces that
succeed in drawing alcohol from ware
house illegally, Is to characterize his
administration of prohibition unit.
While the Federal agents under Will
liam r. Blanford, deputy administrator
for the Washington district, will con-
tinue to cooperate with the Metro
politan Police Department, 1t is eX-
pected that 90 per cent of their cases
will be instituted in Maryland. Cases
against individuals in Washington are
made in the great majority of instances
by policemen. Now, under the reorgan-
lied unit special agents of the Depart
ment of Justice are available for work
in enforcing the prohibition laws. From
time to time they will participate in
the effort to dry up the Capital area.
100000 Property Dynamited.
More than 1900 arrests have been
made in the area since the first of the
year, and in the District of Columbia
% stills have been destroyed. 1t is
estimated that it costs in the neighbor-
hood of $4,000 to equip a 500-gallon
still, and on that basis the Federal
agents have put dynamite to property
valued in excess of 100000.
The reorganization that followed
transfer of the enforcement unit to
the Justice Department July l resulted
in Virginia being added to the district
which includes Washington, but the
Federal agents here will not concern
themselves with Virginia except in in
stances where their assistance is re-
quested.
The administration Of the Washing
ton enforcement district has been trans
ferred to Richmond, Va, from Balti-
more, and r. @. Merrick who was made
administrator in charge, has indicated
that the cooperation offered by the
State is efficient and that the enforce
ment unit here should continue to con-
centrate on Maryland.