Arizona republican., 1917-10-24
DISTILLED BEFORE OCTOBER l
 TO bE ADMITTED
Republican A. 9. Leased Wire1

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23.-Instruc- tions to all customs collect rs through out the country to admit to entry dis titled spirits produced abroad prior to October last either for beverage purposes or other than beverage pur- poses" were made public and recalled within the space of few hours today by the treasury department.
 The issuance of .the instructions which were sent out by Assistant Sec retary Rowe last Saturday was based upon an interpretation of tie food and revenue laws given by Lawrence Becker solicitor of the treasury de- partment, an official of the department of justice. Mir. Becker ruled that the revenue law, approved October 3 re- pealed provisions of the previously enacted food controi :aW which flatly prohibited the, Importation of any dis titled spirits Now the question has been placed before the attorney gen eral, however, for a decision, and in the meantime the food law prohibition re- mains in effect.
 That section of the food law, passed August 10 after prohibiting the manu facture of distilled beverages in this country says:
 Nor shall there be imported into the United States any distilled spirits.
 Section 30ls of the revenue law, passed nearly two months later pro vides:
 That no distilled spirits produced after the passage of this act shall be imported into the United States from any foreign country or from the West Indian islands recen;:y acquired from Denmark (unless produced from pro- duets the growth of such island, and not then into any state or territory or district of the United States in which the manufacture or sale of intcXicat- ing liquor is prohibited,) or from Porto Rico, or the Philippine islands,
 MT. Becker held that the words pro duced after the passage of this act" in the revenue law, in effect, permitted the admission to entry of spirits dis tiled prior to the enactment of the act. Instructions consequently were ad- dressed to all collectors advising them to permit the importation of distilled spirits produced abroad prior to Oc- to6er 3.
 Today these instructions were re- called, nigh officials of the department taking the stand that the question was one of such magnitude that Attorney General GfegoIy Sn0-'u pass upon It,
 The effect of the decision of the so- licitor would be to make available for importation and consumption here the great store of whislxey, cordials, liquors and other distilled beverages produced abroad prior to the enactment of the revenue law.
 { How far MT. Becker's interpretation of the law became operative before the recall of instructions is not known The instructions were forty eight hours old when recalled. The collector al New York, for example. sac all of to- day in which to permit the entry oi distilled spirits into the country.
 Such admission applied not only U ! importations arriving today but also to shipments reaching the United l States after the enactment of the fooo i control law and seized by customs of ficiais to await final disposition by the department.
 If acted upon today, the effect o these instructions Wii2 have been tt admit into the country large stores O ] silch imDOrtatiOn