LIQUOR SMUGGLING

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 October 1933, Page 4

LIQUOR SMUGGLING

ANGLO-FINNISH AGREEMENT

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RUGBY, October 13

An Anglo-Finnish liquor smuggling convention, which follows the general lines of a similar convention concluded in 1924 with the United States, was signed this afternoon at the Foreign Cilice. The import of alcoholic liquors into Finland is subject to Government control and monopoly, and during the past seven to eight years smuggling has been taking place on an extensive scale. Finland concluded with her Baltic neighbours a liquor-smuggling cunvention in 1925, and a number of other countries have assented to the seizure outside of territorial water of liquor smuggling ships flying their flags. The League of Nations Council has recommended States to assist Finland in her difficulty over smuggling. There is abundant evidence that immunity from seizure outside of the territorial waters enjoyed by vessels flying- the British flag is resulting in a number of liquor smugglers of foreign nationality being enabled to engage in the traffic on a large and increasing scale in ships registered in the United Kingdom. According ty the Finnish, authorities, fifteen of them are at present actually engaged. The Finnish opinion became much exercised at the continuance of this traffic by internatioanl adventurers under the protection of the British flag, and the recent blowing up of one of the Finnish coastguard patrol boats has given rise to grave indignation. Under the new Convention, the Finnish Government vessels will be entitled to stop, and. if necessary, -arrest vessels flying the British flag, suspected of smuggling liquor into Finland.