Evening star., 1931-11-29

Not only are the cities deluged with
illicit liquor, but rural districts are
equally we'll served On a trip into the
interior of Finland to attend a skiing
party I saw rural bootlegging at work
and heard of its social and political
repercussionS. The drive by sleigh from
the station to the estate was IL miles
over snow drowned highways, across
white-blanketed lakes and through dark,
f1eecy forests of pine and birch. It was
bitter cold. We stopped at a peasants
cottage for coffee. A Stalwart Finnish
farm wife wearing innumerable skirts,
reindeer shoes and a white kerchief
served us in a Spotiessly scrubbed
kitchen
You need something stronger than
coffee on day like this" she said, as
we huddled round the stone stove. We
agreed. Teacups were produced and in
these she served us the drink of the
native farmer-alcohol hot water and
sugar.
do you make a business of thiS?" I
asked
Yes" she replied
II should think customers would be
scarce" said, considering the snow
and cold"
"Oh, no. she explained "They don't
come here for their spirits My husband
has to deliver it to their homes"
This is the practice, and SO general has
it become that a Finnish authority on
the prohibition question told me that it
had taken on political significance
Many of the farmers" he said, "are
dry and will vote dry. But many more
of them who like to drink will vote dry
because in e-prohibition days they had
to make long drives to town to obtain
their supplies Of liquor, and much Of it
was drunk in the companionship of the
tavern or on the drive home. Now they
can have their orders delivered to their
doors throughout the Winter. Why
shouldn't they vote for prohibition that
renders them such Service?"
TO supply this completely developed re-
tail machinery, four kinds of liquor
are distributed. In the order of their
popularity they are: First, 96 per cent
pure imported ALCOHOL second, pseudo
branded whisky, brandy and rum either
entirely synthetic or made of the orig
ing; third, wines and whiskeyS unadul-
terated, and fourth, a negligible quantity
of alcohol illicitly distilled in the country.
Pure spirits which constitute the bulk
of the contraband imported are shipped
from the Baltic ports, with Germany and
Esthonia the popular sources of supply.
I discussed the smuggling of alcohol
with Maj. E. ]. ]. Hultin, president of the
Society for the Promotion of Temperance
Without Prohibition.
eve know that from the two ports of
Kiel and Danzig alone" he said, "8,OOO,-
600 to 100000 liters of spirits clear each
year for Baltic harborS. And this does
not include whiSkeyS, rum, wines and
liqueurs. The other Baltic nations dis
till enough alcohol for their own needs,
SO it is a safe presumption that most of
the cargoes are destined for Finland.
Other Baltic cities also export spirits to
Finland, and we make a conservative es-
innate that 100000 literS of pure alco-
hol are yearly brought into the country
Because the coast of Finland is dotted
with islands and cut with coves and in
lets, the whole SeaShOre makes for the
Smuggler an ideal Rum Row." With
these typographical handicapS, an made
quate though honest coast guard cap
tured only 100000 literS of alcohol last
year. In the hope that she would be able
to cope more effectually with the rum
runners Finland enlisted the aid of for
eign nations in an effort to stop the flow
of liquor
BY the convention of Helsingfors the
Baltic powers agreed in 1925 to allow
Finlands enforcement fleet the privilege
of 12mile territorial limit, so far as