Evening star., 1943-07-08

By the Associated Press.
Bootlegging of liquor is on the up
grade again.
AS lean periods loom ahead for
American drinkers because of re-
stricted supplies, there is evidence
on the one hand Of some attempts
to make the lean days fatter through
traffic in contraband liquor-and,
on the other hand, Of attempts to
make them even leaner through
prohibition measures.
The Governments overall view Of
the bootlegging and moonshining
picture is that it's at its lowest ebb
since the days of national pro-
hibition, due to wartime shortages
of materials, difficulties of trans
portation, and the march Of many
moonshiners to the colors.
Comeback Attempted.
A Nationwide survey of the liquor
situation made by the Associated
Press shows that while such law
breaking is low for the country as
a whole, moonshiners in few States
are attempting a comeback, and
other types of bootlegging prevail
in many sections.
Reports from Virginia, West Vir-
ginia, South Carolina, Arkansas,
Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kan
sas and Florida indicate that makers
of white mule and other connections
are making persistent. though some
times rather crude, attempts to get
going in the hills and swamps.
Furthermore, there are signs that
the present shortage Of liquor, re-
strictions or hours of sale in some
communities. and variations in
liquor supplies between bordering
States has srurred activity in many
parts of the country by non manu-
featuring bootleggers and black
marketerS.
They range from a few big opera
tors, who still manage to keep trucks
going over somewhat long distances,
to small operators like taxicab drlv-
ers, bellhops and the suitcase boot
logger
In California customs officials re-
port a 10-fold increase in attempts
to smuggle liquor across the border
from Mexico.
On the prohibition front, a bill
proposing wartime prohibition has
been submitted to Congress by Rep
resentative Bryson, Democrat OF
South Carolina. Also pending in
Congress are seven other bills pro-
posing restrictions of various kinds
on alcoholic beverages.
Point to "Hangovers."
Dry leaders persistently call for
restrictive measures on liquor in the
vicinity of military establishments
and war plants-they declare that
Monday morning hangovers' are
factor in industrialism absenteeism
and recently the Anti-Saloon
League of America appealed to
President Roosevelt to prevent the
sale of Intoxicating liquor, including
beer, on any property controlled by
the Government or to any man or
woman in United States uniform"
While there has been no formal
action by the drys to seek legisla-
tive return of unlimited national
prohibition such as prevailed in
1918, wet forces claim that dry
adherents are using appeals for war
time restrictions as stepping stones
toward a bone-dry America.
Here is the picture on the MOON
shine situation:
While many States report that
Illicit distilling is cramped by short
ages of copper, sugar and other sup
plies and by other wartime factors,
other reports show that:
In the swamps of Florida about so
stills are now being confscated
monthly-an increase of about so
DER cent over 18 months ago.
In Arkansas, sinners who had sus-
pended operations because of lack
of sugar began pooling their ra
toned sugar few weeks ago and
now are in operation.
Sorghum Being USED.
There's not much moonshine flow-
ing in the mountains of Tennessee
any more, but few old timers are
trying to make rum out sorghum
molasses, which revenue agent in
Washington described as pretty
good rum-but the only trouble is,
a mans apt to get sick long before
he gets buzz on"
Operators in Oklahoma and Kan
sas, two of the Nations three pro-
hibition States with the exception
of 80 beverages) are also cooking
up molasses rum, as are others in
South Carolina And, in South Caro-
lima, there's evidence of sugar boot
Logging, with revenue agents report
ing that rationed sugar was found
in six of II stills seized in week.
In Texas, which had big NOR
tality of moonshiners year ago,
things are stirring again in the
eastern hills, due to new acquisitions
of sugar.
For lack of sugar, sinners in Vir-
ginia are using sour mash as a base,
end the number of stills being found
there is on the upgrade. So, too, in
West Virginia.
lack of copper doesn't necessarily
stump the hill-billy distiller, as even
Stewart Berkshire, deputy commits
sioner of the United States Bureau
Of Internal Revenues Alcohol Tax
Unit, will admit. Mr. Berkshire
told a congressional committee sew
eral months ago that they get along
without great deal of copper. They
take on old Ford radiator and
few tubs. They get by with a mini
mum"
Moonshine Prices High.
While the 1943 moonshiner may
be short on production, he's long
on price. The white stuff from the
hills" is selling for anywhere from
$6 to $40 a gallon.
There's no reported moonshining
in California, but some San Fran