Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-13
Unified Border
Patrol Asked
by Mellon
SEEKS INCREASE
In ENTRY PORTS
Transfer of Guard
Force Is Wanted
by Secretary
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
President Hoover today sent to
Congress along with the first pre-
liminary report of the Law En-
forcement. Commission report
submitted. to him by Secretary
Mellon urging a unified border
patrol under jurisdiction Of the
Coast Guard; an increase in the
number of ports of entry, and a
prohibition against entry into the
United States of all persons ex-
cept at ports designated by the
President.
Considered Some Time.
The Mellon report follows:
Mr.. President:
The Treasury has been consid-
ering Tor some time the creation
OF a unified border patrol in or
der that the executions of the
customs, immigration, prohibition
and other laws regulating or pro-
h1biting the entry into the United
States of persons and mer-
chandlSe, may be made more ef-
fective. The following recon-
mendationS are submitted, for
your consideration and transmits
sion to the Congress If you ap-
prove:
i. The entry into the United States
OF all persons should be prohibited ex-
cept at points of entry designated by
the President.
2. The present number of points of
entry should be increase sufficiently to
permit uninterrupted and unhampered
intercourse with our neighboring coun-
tries over established and customary
Basis Of Work Is Cited.
3. A unified border patrol should be
created 70 patrol the border and pre-
vent illegal entry
4. The unified border patrol should
be a part of the Coast Guard.
A specific statutory prohibition of en-
try into the United States of either
aliens or citizens, in any manner and
with or without merchandise, except at
designated points, is essential as basis
II the border patrol is to function ef-
ficiently, since it will give the patrol q
plain and simple rule to enforce, and
relieve them of any necessity of inter-
preting and applying the customs, i'm
migration, and other laws. Customs,
immigration, quarantine and other Of
ficers will be stationed at the designated
points of entry and the administration
of the laws at these points should re-
main, of course, under the jurisdiction
OF the present services.
Flexibility Is Essential.
The points of entry should be desig-
mated by the President, just as ports
of entry are now designated They
should be established at the boundary
intersection of all established and Gus
tomary routes and wherever intercourse
with our neighboring countries justifies.
Flexibility Is essential IN order to per-
NIT an increase in the points of entry
conformably with the growth of COM
merce and travel, and in order to meet
changing conditions. There should be
a substantial increase, rather than a
decrease, In the present number of
customs and immigration stations.
1t is believed that the proposed plan
will promote materially the convenience
Of the travelling public as well as relieve
those travelling on inland highways
from inspection. Today, generarsy
speaking, travellers may enter the
OIutCQ 0UdIcS dIlyWIlSTc, DuG must re-
port at a customs house, which may well
be entirely out of their line of travel,
and declare and enter their merchan-
disc. Moreover, our present patrol must
necessarily be maintained on interior
roads and not along the border, with
the consequent necessity of stopping
vehicles and pedestrians who may never
have left the country. Adequate provi-
sion should, Of course, be made by
regulation so as to meet the needs Of
farmers and others whose property ex-
tends across the border or who are
living along the border.
Duties Are Outlined.
The unified border patrol should be
charged with the enforcement of the
statutory prohibition-that is, 1t should
be charged with the duty of guarding
the border between the designated
points and preventing entry of all per-
sons ana merchandise over the land
and water boards except at the points
of entry specified, where the usual Gus
toms, immigration, quarantine and other
officers will be stationed.
The proposed unified border patrol
will replace the patrols now maintained
by both the Customs Service and the
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