THE UNITED STATES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3595, 6 February 1923, Page 21

THE UNITED STATES.

THE PROHIBITION LAWS. NEW YORK, January 28. The Washington correspondent of the New York Times savs that the State Repayment was informed bv Mr Rogers, member of tile House of Representatives, who is investigating the situation, that with the connivance of Bahaman officials, 2,000,000 gallons of whisky had been illegally imported into the United States from the islatids since prohibition became effective. Mr Rogers stated that the Bahaman officials were honest, but without incentive to take a strong stand on moral grounds in any matter which would materially injure ’the colony. The traffic was at its height to-day. A large amount of capital was invested in the smuggling system, which was highly organised and remunerative Mr Rogers stated that the Bahaman Government derived 1,200.000 dollars revenue from this traffic in 1922, while in 1918 the revenue from all sources totalled only 400,000 dollars. The vessels carrying liquor never proceeded from the Bahamas to the American ports, but lav off the American coast and were met by small, speedy boats which landed the liquor everywhere on the Atlantic Coast. FOREIGN DIPLOMATS UNDER SUSPICION. WASHINGTON, February 3. In the House of Representatives Mr Crampton introduced a resolution asking Mr Hughes and Mr Mellon to inform the House of the regulations under which foreign diplomats at Washington imported liquor and quantity which had been imported since January, 1920. Mr Crampton intends to start a movement to stop the use of Embassy liquors in the illicit traffic. He said the problem of the enforcement of the 18th amendment at Washington was made acute by the illegitimate selling of these liquors. RIOTS IN INDIANA. NEW YORK, January 29. At Blandford, Indiana, a week’s racial trouble, arising from the alleged outraging of a white girl bv a negro, culminated in a Tiot in which two men were killed and two wounded. Tlie sheriff learnt that whites had fired on negro shopkeepers, and a posse raided a section near the scene of the shooting. On entering a dance .hall the officials were attacked by a crowd, mostly foreigners. The former opened fire and killed two rioters

and wounded one. The sheriff was also wounded. AIR STATION PAYMASTER ROBBED. NEW YORK. January 30. At Norfolk (Virginia.) bandits kidnapped the paymaster of the Langleyfield air station, tied him un to a tree, and escaped with the nav roll, amounting to 42,000 dollars. POLICE’AND RAILWAYMEN CLASH. WASHINGTON, January 30. At Corbin (Kentucky) two men were killed by special police in a fight with railway employees. The police claim that they were attacked while seeking to investigate shots which were fired in the vicinity' of a group of railwaymen. ARBUCKLE’S NEW ROLE. NEW YORK, January 31. A telegram from Los Angeles says that Arbuckle has announced that he will never act again, but that he lias signed a contract with a kinema firm to act as director of its comedies. He said: “From now on the public will hear from me only through the medium of the pictures I direct. - PANAMA CANAL ZONE. W ASHINGTON, January 31. Panama, with which the United States is arranging a treaty convention to take the place of the Taft agreement, under which the United States will control the Panama Canal zone, has sent a Note to the State Department insisting that all that was ceded to the United States was that which was necessary for the construction, operation, maintenance, sanitation, and protection of the canal, and nothing more; also that the fiscal jurisdiction of the Panama Canal zone from an international point of view—namely, concerning imports and exports—has not ceased to be vested in the republic of Panama. Furthermore, should the United States abandon the canal, it has no legal basis for further occupation of the zone. Panama orotests against the action of the zone authorities, which exceeds the treaty rights. THE DRUG HABIT. WASHINGTON. January pi. Mr Porter, member of the House of Representatives, introduced a resolution asking President Harding to urge Great Britain, Turkey, Persia. Peru, Bolivia, and the Netherlands to limit the production of habit-forming drugs and the raw materials ‘ from which thev are manufactured to an amount necessary for medical and scientific purposes. Mr Porter stated there were more than 1.000.000 nersons addicted to drugs in the United States, ranging in ago from 12 to 75, and the 1912 treatv for the suppression of the drug trade had failed in its purpose. AN OPTUUTfmc REPORT. WASHINGTON. February l. The Federal Prohibition Commissioner, Mr Havr-s, following fi. tour of investigation: on the Pacffie Coast and the southwest, declared: “Every section T visited I found a pomilar backing of the 18th Amendment and a natriotic determination to have it religiously observed am! strirtlv enforced. The States actually vied with one another in their demonstra tions of rrevert the law and reverence of the constitution.” HELPING AGRICULTUR ALISTS. WASHINGTON. February 3. The Senate unanimously passed the Lerroot-Anderson Bill, providing one billion three hundred million dollars credit for agriculture loans. VIOLENT EARTH UPHEAVALS. NEW YORK, February 3. Local seismographs report terrific earth upheavals 5000 miles away—probably in the bed of the Pacific. Despatches from the Hawaiian Islands report four tidal waves, inundating a large distance inland on manv islands, and swamping fishing boats, with less of life. It is believed thus far that ten Japanese are cut off from communications. Volcanoes which were believed to be extinct have begun to erupt, hut with minor intensity.