CAMPAIGN AGAINST RUM FLEET

Evening Star, Issue 18810, 8 December 1924, Page 8

CAMPAIGN AGAINST RUM FLEET

* AMERICAN GOVERNMENT’S PLANS. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. 1 WASHINGTON, December 5. I The Government has arranged that twelve of the fastest destroyers along the Atlantic seaboard shall assist in the campaign against the nun fleet. Tight more will be added; also 230 speed boats, which | will be operated by the coastguards. ’ . Almost all of these arc ready. 1 The entire battle power, provided I through a twenty million dollars appropriation made by Congress, will be mobilised by Christmas. The "destroyers now frequently capsize the rum craft by rushing full speed, then stopping short mid making a sideway sweep, which causes a tremendous wave to ' shoot forward and overwhelm the grog ship. It is reported that daylight running is now almost entirely superseded by night operations,- owing to the difficulty of dis- , tinguishing friend from foe. i An official report states that 197 boats [ were captured in 1924, thirteen of which were of large tonnage; also 2,799 automobiles. The Attorney-General's report lays the chief blame for the illicit traffic to the bootleggers catering for society trade, and | says the courts are staggering under the : load imposed by Prohibition legislation, j He advocates sentences of imprisonment for violators of the Prohibition law.—A. and N.Z. Cable.