Evening star., 1947-04-03
'Phony Propaganda
On Customs Slash
.Assailed by Bridges
By HoroId B. Rogers

Chairman Bridges Of the Senate
Appropriations Committee today
condemned what he called the
"phony' propaganda OF the Customs
Bureau In attempting to get the
Senate to restore a $3,50o, 900 appro-
.priation cut made by the House in
the Treasury Department appropri-
alton bill.
"This is one of the most disgrace
full episodes In congressional his
tory" the New Hampshire Senator
declared.
He delivered his caustic criticism
Of the Customs Bureau and its en-
ployes after calling to the witness
stand Harry j. Anslinger, United
States commissioner of narcotics.
Senator Bridges asked Mr.. An
singer if he agreed with charges
being made throughout the country
that dismissal of the border patrol
and port patrol officials would be an
invitation for wide-open smuggling
of drugs.
mot Too Much Alarmed"
He read from newspapers and
letters telling of this threat, and
asked Mr.. Anslinger:: will the
country go completely to help"
That's pretty strong" Mr.. An
singer answered.
The narcotics chief told the COM
mittee that he was mot too much
alarmed If the customs forces could
be properly deployed to meet the
threat"
Senator Bridges said he. had re-
ceived 5000 letters and kilograms
complaining about the reduction in
the patrols as result of the House
appropriation cut.
He said he had replied to about
1000 of these, but that roughly 5
per cent of his own letters of re-
Spouse had come back marked by
the Post Office Department as "un-
known"
Letter Read Into Record.
"This shows how phony the whole
thing was," Senator Bridges said.
when a division of Government
participates in such a phony, it dis
gusts you, it disgusts me and dis
credits every one connected with 1t"
Senator Knowland, Republican, OF
California read into the record a
letter. an official Of the National
Customs Service Association sent to
customs employees urging a cam
paign of letters and kilograms, espc-
cially to Senators to ask for resto-
ration of the money cut by the
House.
After Mr.. Anslinger's appearance,
Admiral ]. F. Farley testified that
a $36, 100000 House slash in Coast
Guard funds for the next fiscal
year may lead to ship losses which
would far exceed that saving by
Congress.
II am not being an alarmist
when L prophesy that failure OF
crucial aids to navigation and other
facilities can be anticipated" the
Coast Guard commandant said.
Calls Charges "Unfair."
Admiral Farley said the prop
erty value represented in one large
vessel of cur merchant marine If. q
victim Of disaster can in a large
measure offset the saving" while the
"value of lives involved would, OF
course, be incalculable."
He described as unfair" impli-
cations that the Coast Guard had
deliberately attempted to ag-
grandize itself either at the ex-
pense Of other agencies of the Gov
ernment or the public ITSELF"
In making the $50, ,000, ,000sslash
the House Appropriations Commit
tee SAID the guard had "grandiose
designs" when 1t asked $232, ,000, ,000
to operate for the IL months be-
ginning July /.
This was reduced to $133, ,000, ,000
in President Truman's budget rec
concentrations and whitfield to $97,-
000, 900 by the House committee with
the comment that the Coast Guard
is overstaffed with high-ranking
officers" and attempting to operate
as "blue water" agency instead
Of along domestic coasts.