Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-20
'LOWMAN,D0UbTFUL
OF TOTAL AR|D|TY,
SCORES NEW YORK
Prohibition Enforce ment
Chief Tells Rechabites He's
Ashamed of Home State.
LAUDS COAST GUARDS
IN BLACK DUCK DEATHS
Urges State and Local Authorities
to Assume Larger Part
of Responsibility.

Seymour Lowman, generalissimo OF
| things last night-that he has little
hope of ever achieving total liquor pro-
hibition in this country and that he is
ashamed of his home State, New York
The Assistant Secretary of the Treas
| ury in charge OF prohibition enforce
ment so expressed himself in address
ing a temperance mass meeting in
of the eighty-first anniversary of Eagle
Tent, No. 2, Independent Order OF
Rechabites.
In a general discussion of the pres
ent status of prohibition enforcement.
MIR. Lowman had pointed out that in
some districts of Pennsylvania women
make liquor while cooking the family
dinner.
"These women. he said, keep a tea
kettle filled with mash on the back of
the kitchen stove. They tie a towel
over the snout of the kettle and keep
wringing the moisture out of the tow
els as fast as it is distilled. Thus they
keep themselves constantly supplied
with liquor.
while such conditions as these pre-
vail it seems almost futile to talk about
total prohibition"
Ashamed Of Home State"
Since the adoption by the country OF
the eighteenth amendment, Mr.. Low
man said, virtually every enforcement
act on the statute books Of New York
State has been repealed. And am
thoroughly ashamed Of my home
State" he declared.
At one point Mr.. Lowman launched
into vigorous defense of the Coast
Guardsmen who fired the machine-gun
ill
aboard the speed boat Black Duck.
Early this month";" he said, "the
Government received information that
a fleet of rum boats was anchored on
the Atlantic coast. The large vessels
stayed without the 12-mile limit, send
ing their contraband cargo ashore in
small, speedy boats. Members OF the
Coast Guard were ordered to be on
the lookout for these speed craft.
"One morning early before dawn
crew of Coast GuardSmen saw a speed
boat cutting through the water at ap-
proximately IS miles an hour. 1t was
the Black Duck. At that speed little
could be seen but the whirling spray
in the wake of the boat.
1.-THE Coast Guard ship ordered her
to stop by proper signals, but she re-
fused to do so, and they gave her the
works Unfortunately the Black Duck
swung around in such a manner that
the machine-gun bullets penetrated her
cabin, killing three Of the four men
aboard"
Mr. Lowman accused newspapers
generally of overemphasizing accounts
OF the killings and minimizing the ver-
dict of the coroner's jury generating
the Guardsmen.
Says Prohibition Needs Support.
The speaker said he liked the under
lying idea of the Rechabites, because
lit does not embody compulsion. You
employ moral suasion to convince
potent than force"
Mr. Lowman said he wished the
Rechabites every success in their drive
for 100000 signers of a pledge to
make this country safe for prohibition.
Prohibition" he declared, needs the
support OF the Rechabites and all tenn
perance organizations at this time"
He also urged the State and local
authorities to assume a larger part OF
the responsibility of enforcing prohibi-
ton. THE Federal Government" he
said, might be able to handle the
large commercial violations, but 1t can't
do the whole job. The local authorities
must attend to the police end OF en-
forcement.
ITO my mind, prohibition has been
a success and a great benefit. AS the
years 60 by I feel we will attain a
reasonable success, enough so We will
be justified in speaking of our coun-
try as q temperate and sober America"
John r. Mahoney, high secretary of
Eagle Tent, made short address, urg-
ing that all persons present sign the
pledge cards.
Charles Williams, past high chief
ruler, outlined the history of the Recha-
bites and read the minutes of the first
meeting held in Washington 81 years
ago.
The speakers were introduced by Rev.
DR.. William S. Abernethy, pastor Of the
church.