ILLICIT LIQUOR TRADE

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 1186, 8 December 1924, Page 10

ILLICIT LIQUOR TRADE

PREVENTION IN UNITED STATES. [By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.] WASHINGTON, Dec. 5. The. Government hue placed twelve of its fastest destroyers along the Atlantic seaboard to assist the campaign against the rum fleet. Eight more will he affiled, and 250 speed boats, which will be operated by coastguards. Almost all arc ready and tne entire battle power provided, through the twenty million dollars appropriation made by Congress, will be mobilised by Christman. Destroyers now frequently capsize rum craft by rushing at full speed, then stopping short and making a sideways sweep, which causes a tremendous wave to shoot forwurd and overwhelm the grog ship. If is reported that daylight running has been almost entirely suppressed and night operations are waning owing to the difficulty of distinguishing friend from foe. An official roprot stales that 187 boats have been captured so far in 1924, thirteen of-which were of large tonnage; also 2799 automobiles. The Attorney-Generals reports lays the chief blame for the illicit traffic to bootleggers catering for the society trade, and says the Courts are staggering under the load imposed by the prohibition legislation, lie advocates sentences of imprisonment for violators of the prohibition law. —A. and N.Z. cable.