Evening star., 1934-07-31
A New Anti-Bootlegger Drive.

Since repeal demonstrated that with
or without the eighteenth amendment
the industry Of the bootlegger still
thrived, two methods have been sug-
gested for putting him out Of business.
One has been based on the fact
that the bootiegger exists because Of
high taxes-local, State and Federal
on legal liquor, which contribute TO
its high price and which favor the
bootlcgger as q competitor Reduce
the taxes, therefore, and bring down
the price OF legal liquor and force the
bootlegHer out Of business by under
selling him.
The other theory has been that the
bootlegger, always able TO undersell
legal competitors. is public enemy
who must be dealt with as any other
criminal and the way TO get rid of
him is 10 enforce the laws which he
violates and TO put him behind the
bars.
From the first Secretary Morgen-
thau, presumably acting in accordance
with the beliefs and desires Of the
President, has refused TO deal with
the bootlegger as competitor whose
prices must be met by denying to the
Federal Government its due share Of
liquor taxation. He has favored strict
enforcement and a campaign against
bootlegeing that would end the menace
30 long personified by the bootlegger.
His announcement that "I would
like to exhaust our police powers be-
fore talking about reducing taxes"
and that "I would like the Govern
ment to see II it cannot clear up what
we have inherited from the last four
teen years" for Il think the Govern
ment should at least go through with
what we are trying to do" viii, it is
believed, receive the public approval
that Secretary Morgenthau expects.
The theory of combating smuggling
and evasion of Federal taxes by treat
ing the criminal as. a competitor is
abaorTent to those who believe that
the National Government should be
strong enough to enforce its own laws.
There is additional reason for graft
fication in some of the details Of
Secretary Morgenthau's proposed
campaign against bootlegging. En-
forcement agents-investigstors and
special Investigators OF the new alco-
hol control unit Of the Treasury-will
be subjected to strict character and
civil service examinations, thus car
rying forward the principle estab-
ltshed during the Hoover administra-
tion, when all prohibition agents were
selected on the basis OF such exam
1nations. Requirements for the spe-
cial Investigators are unusually high.
They must have had at least three
years experience in general law prac-
tice, be members Of the bar In good
standing and have spent at least two
of the past five years in responsible
investigating work. New enforcement
districts are to be established, with
new and increased personnel. The
Chicago area, one of the tough spots
of the country where bootlegging has
continued without abatement since
repeal, Is to be made a sort Of lab
oratory In which methods of enforce
ment win be tested. Consideration is
being given to increasing the Coast
Guard to combat the new growth Of
rum row OF the Atlantic Coast.
Mr., Morgenthau is acting in the
belief that public sentiment is
strongly in favor of eliminating the
bootlegger, and, with legal liquor OBJ
tainable. there is no longer the tend
ency to condone his activity as a
necessary evil.