OCR Text |
Show NORWAY TRIES I IN VAIN TO STOP I RUM SMUGGLERS Fast Boats Leave Behind Pursuing Revenue Officers GERMAN SHIPS USED New Law Permits Seizures as Far Out as Ten Miles From Coast CIIRISTIAMA. Nov. 4 Liquor Smuggling Into Norway. In violation of the prohibition laws, has Increased recently re-cently at such a rapid rate that government gov-ernment official an' fimllng the work of suppression most difficult. Smuggling on a large scale is going go-ing on all ulong the coast, the thOUS-rnds thOUS-rnds oi Islands and fjords furnishing Ideal hiding places and operating bases for the illegal traffic. Tim efforts of the smuggler seem to be concentrated concen-trated about the iulet of the Christ b UliS fjord, and here Is established a real market place at the outskirts of the three-mile limit, swarming with German and Danish liquor smuggling vessels. A Norwegian law now allows revenue reve-nue officials to search and bring In s;;'pli 'mis .-r-sels i.i fr t out 'is ' n miles from the coast. This extension of the control district, however, has serv-only serv-only lo increase the difficult work of the officials. SHALL PORTION SEIZED So far other nations have no offt-i, offt-i, clally accepted the extension of Nor way's water control to the LO-mile limit, ami opponents of the law point out that international complications ;ould easily arise should a foreign boat be seized ami forcibly brought in- ( to a Norwegian port. Hundreds of thousands of gallons j of alcohol and whisky find their way Into the country'. :,nd on ; ;i N ' 1 v S,11U " percentage is bring seized 'The smugglers smug-glers have a thoroughly organized business, but use high powered motor mo-tor boats to bring the goods from storage stor-age ships anchored outside Norwegian i waters. Snbmnrine chasers obtained! from the Gorman navy are Ideal for the work of the smugglers. These poatS are equipped with radio and smoke screen apparatus Tin y are in constant wireless communication with the shore, and are thus able to i hoose the right moment for i dash to the beach. The most serious handicap the gov- crnment has to contend With Is the ' coast population Itself, Which co-operates In more than one way with the rum-runners. OFFICERS OUT-DIS1 1 l A patrol steamer equipped with two :guns has been put Into operation b jthe revenue officers, bill tin speed) boats of the smugglers uro out of I roach before damage can be done to i them At the recent annual meeting of th organization of revenue officials i a resolution was passed saying it was (impossible to stop rum-running in I 'Norway, even If the oi'i ials vv,re on' I duty day and night, and the government govern-ment appropriated 20 times as muoh money for the work as Is now avail- i able on |