NECESSARY EVIL

Northern Advocate, 31 January 1927, Page 5

NECESSARY EVIL

“UNDER-COYER” AGENTS

OUTWITTING BOOTLEGGERS. NIGHT CLUB DECOYS. (Received 10.46 a.m.) WASHINGTON, January 30. Following upon sensational disclosures that the Federal Government employed so-called 1 ‘ undercover ” .men, who in order to trap bootleggers organised elaborate night clubs, using Government moneys for the purpose, Get' } eral Andrews sent a letter to the j Senate explaining the reasons. The letter states: “The country is faced with numerous, vast and continuing conspiracies. It must recognise that violations are nation-wide and almost numberless. The Federal Government, to meet this condition, must concentrate -its efforts upon largo, well organised, illegal operations. Dry agents known to the criminal element could never hope to defeat unknown, intelligent, unscrupulous men, whose operations are necessarily enshrouded in darkness. It is similar to war. It is necessary for agents to be employed who arc qualified 'to act as spies. No one likes the idea, but it is as essential hero as in war. -Secret service methods and under-cover men are absolutely necessary if the 1 prohibition law is to be I enforced.” The revelations which have aroused I a great deal of interest, showed that I Government agents operated a night I club for many months, selling liquor to the public and at the same time intercepting during delivery large orders for liquors placed with bootleggers. 1 The club was later sold to a private i individual, who shortly after that was arrested.—A. and N.Z.

STRIKING STATISTIC.

DEATHS DUE TO ALCOHOL,

(Received 11 a.m.)

WASHINGTON, January 30,

The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, the largest of its kind in America, has announced that the death rate from alcoholism among the company’s 17,000,000 policy-holders was greater in 1926 than in any year since 1917. The rate in ‘ 1926 was 8.7 per 100,000, against 3.1 in 1925. The 1926 rate was six times as great as that of 1920, which year was the lowest ever recorded. The highest rate was 5.2 in 1912.

The announcements state that, unless the current trend of alcoholism deaths is cheeked, 1928 will record a rate as high as 'any yet since 1911, which is the earliest for which data is available for industrial populations.—A. and N.Z.