Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-07-09

of the San Juan campaign from civil service
requirements when enlisting in the Mexican
Border Patrol.
A GREAT hue and cry arose recently, how
ever, due to the fact that these men were
not enrolled under civil service their con-
freres on the Canadian border had to be. So
last Summer the matter was up for final dis
cussion and former President Hoover decided
to place the customs officers on the Mexican
border under the same status as all the others,
and in effect rescinded the old executive order
OF the hero Of San Juan Hill.
Unlike their comrades in the sister services
of the Army and Navy, the aviators Of the
United States Border Patrol are not on flight
pay They seem to require no gold braid or
brass buttons to keep up their morale over the
mountain peaks and perhaps their salary Of
around 81 100 year would be laughed at in
military circles The Air Patrol seems to
thrive on low pay and danger, however, and
would appear to have undertaken this difficult
duty as much for the fun Of flying as for
the thrill Of danger and the adventures that
our Army and Navy pilots seldom get in peace
time.
Some Of the battles staged over the Mexican
border and with smugglers off Florida make
tales that the notable Fletcher or Oppenheim
might envy. The lonely little hanger just out
of sight of the ranch used by some smuggler.
the patrol boat on duty on the far side Of
the mountain range, the long wait for the
drone Of the outlaws motor, the bitter battle
between two smugglers over the exclusive use
Of some obscure little field near the rum ships
all are familiar to the Air Patrol.
One of the effects that the recent concen-
trated drive against these airplane smugglers
has brought about has been the gradual push
ing away from commercial airports Of many
OF these law evaders. This has meant that
- Is~k~. l.
where fields are rented from some small farmer
who is not too eager to know the source of
his new income But the rutted condition Of
such fields with their poor drainage soon leads
to crack ups and adds to the high cost to be
borne by the smuggler.
Some of the mounted inspectors" who ny
the regions near the Texas border have had
to cultivate the notable qualities usually at
tributed to the American eagle Such pilots
have tried to pick places along the mountain
tops for landing the customs planes, so that
these eyries of the Sierra Range can be utilized
as observation posts from which to observe the
Illicit activities of the smugglers on some dis
tant little airfield.
Often the customs aviators tuck away their
planes under some eucalyptus tree as they
wait patiently to check the return Of sus-
pected pilot from unannounced fight over
the border. This sort Of gypsy service in the
wilds requires special equipment for camping,
and the customs planes fitted with various
hooks and corners in the fuselage to carry the
necessary bedding, food, water and fuel that
might be needed for trip Of several days
| ANDING fields are apt to be few and far
L between in the particular terraine that
require special watching on patrol, and in many
instances the customs pilot has to use low
bushes and shrubs to come in on, measure
of protection and camouflage from the air.
Such field" presents an opportunity for a
crack-up that few pilots in their right minds
would deliberately select. and recalls the sad
case of the young Army aviators who came
on down for an emergency landing in what
L. H. Ara hut