LIQUOR TRAFFIC

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19623, 18 October 1933, Page 8

LIQUOR TRAFFIC

ANGLO-FINNISH CONVENTION. British Official Wlr-tcss RUGBY, October 13. An Anglo-Finnish liquor smuggling convention, which follows the general lines of the similar convention concluded in 1924 with the United States, was signed this afternoon at the Foreign Office. The import of alcoholic 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 convention in 1925. and a number of other countries have assented to seizure outside territorial waters of liquor smuggling ships flying their flags, and the League of Nations Council has recomtnended States to assist Finland In her difficulty over smuggling. There is abundant evidence that the immunity from seizure outside 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 to Finnish authorities 15 of them are at present actually engaged. Finnisl opinion became much exercised at the continuance of this traffic by international adventurers, under the protection of the British flag, and the recent blowing up of one of the Finnisl. coastguard patrol boats has given rise to grave indignation. Under the new convention, Finnish Government vessels will be entitled to stop and, if necessary, arrest vessels flying the British flag which are suspected of smuggling liquor into Finland.