Avaunt, Smugglers!

The Treasury Department has perfected plans for attacking the rum smugglers who infest our coasts:

1) to build 20 cruising cutters.

2) to build 200 cabin cruising motor boats.

3) to build 100 smaller speed boats.

4) to increase commissioned officers of the Coast Guard from 209 to 353.

5) to increase warrant officers from 396 to 716.

6) to increase enlisted personnel from 4,051 to 7,122.

It is estimated that an appropriation of $20,000,000 will be necessary for the new boats and an additional $8,500,000 for the increased personnel. President Coolidge is understood to have approved the plans which will be submitted to Congress.

After negotiations which had their inception last March and continued all Summer (TIME, Sept. 17) arrangements were finally completed for a conference with Canadian authorities to secure their cooperation in preventing rum smuggling from Canada. Assistant Secretary of the Treasury McKenzie Moss, accompanied by six technical assistants, was ordered to proceed to Ottawa, inasmuch as the Canadian Government had signified its readiness to receive the mission.