The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-07-08
Smoot Amendment to Food
Bill Gives Wilson Power
to Commander It.
ACT SUSPENDS EXCISE
Manufacture and Importa-
tion of Distilled Liquors
Is Forbidden.
BEER AND WINES STAND
Action May Compel Revision
of Revenue Bill or Necessi-
tate Bond Issue.
BEER AND WINES STAND

WAsHINoroN, July John Barley
corn, victor in many a combat, was
knocked out to-day. For the period OF
the war at least he will be in disgrace,
branded as a public enemy throughout
the United States. His defeat was com
pleted late this afternoon when the SEN
ate, as the climax of its long and heated
prohibition debate, voted to forbid the
manufacture of all distilled liquors, to
forbid also their Importation, and to
direct the President to take over all
spirits in bond paying the owners cost
plus not more than 10 per cent. This
will cost the Government at least $640,-
100000. 1t will compel a revision OF the
tax BILL Just put in, adding this sum to
the amount the bill calls for, or necessl-
| tating a bond issue.
In the final action taken to-day beer
and wines were left unmolested as the
President desired. But IL the Senate's
action on the prohibition question stands
the cocktail and the highball, the gin
rickey and the mint julep. and all the
delectable compounds made up for
| thirsty souls. will be banished from the
country's bars thirty days after the
| President afflxes his signature 10 the
food bill. that is unless the liquor inter-
| SSto VI tic SouIliy tdhe Out lne SDlTJS
| now in bond before the decree goes into
| effect. But even this will insure only n
| limited supply. with retail prices mount
Ing higher as 1t becomes exhausted.
Senators who had a hand in drafting
the bonded liquor provision of the bill
| declared tonight that the liquor in bond
must be ommandeered by the President
| Immediately after the bill becomes law
| by his signature. Representatives of
the liquor interests are of the opinion
! however. that they will have thirty days
in which to take the liquor out of bond
| Liquor Interests See Profits.
| To take out the bonded liquor before
| prohibition goes into effect will cost the
liquor interests 1t is estimated, $223.-
| 100000. 1t is believed they will go i'm
mediately 10 work liquidating all their
| available assets and investing the pro-
ceeds in these bonded liquors, calculating
| that they will be able to sell 1t at stu
| pendous advance.
The Senate's prohibition substitute for
the House provision, as finally adopted,
reads:
| THAT FROM AND AFTER thirty days
from the date of the approval OF this
act no person shall use any foods
fruits, food materials or feeds in the
production of distilled liquors, except
| for governmental. Industrial, manu-
featuring, scientific or medical pur-
poses. nor shall there be imported into
the United States during said war any
distilled liquors, provided that the
President of the United States be and
hereby is directed to take over for and
on behalf of the Government OF the
| United States all distilled liquors that
are held in bond at the time this act
goes into effect, and he is hereby au-
thoriZed TO pay 10 the owners OF such
liquors the actual cost of the same
plus profit not exceeding 10 per
centum.
AND PROVIDED, FURTHER, that tho
collection of all excise tax on distilled
spirits in bond at the time of the pas
sage OF this act shall be suspended so
long as this act Is in force and the
distiller, in event that said distilled
spirits shall be taken over by the Gov
ernment as herein provided shall be
discharged from all obligations for any
and all taxes levied and assessed
against said distilled spirits, provided,
however, that the owner OF the dis
titled spirits shall not withdraw any
part thereof without the payment OF
the excise tax in force.
|. ANY PERSON who wlfully violates
this section shall, upon conviction
thereof be punished by fine of not
exceeding $1,000, or by Imprisonment
| Tor not more than TWO years, OF ootn'
senate's Action Is Radical.
The action of the Senate is more
radical than many expected few days
ago. The defeat Of the bone dry
forces has long been regarded as a GER
tainty. Few of the conservatives ex-
> pected however, that the Senate con-
fronted already with a staggering cost
for tho war, would take the step II did
, to-day and vote to purchase the spirits
! = in the bonded warehouses In the hope
: of insuring the total prohibition Of
whiskey.
But prohibitive as the cost of this
appeared TO some, II was brushed aside
to-day over the protests OF Senator Sim
= mons, chairman OF the Senate Finance
Committee. OVerthrowinR an virtually
confiscatory the moro radical Cummins
amendment adopted yesterday. which
would have prevented the release Of any
OF this liquor during the war period. the
Senate by a vote Of 60 to IL adopted
= an amendment framed by Senator
o smoot, Utah, directing the President &c
take possession OF the liquor and pay
o the owners for It.
3 Some OF the money expended for thiI
: purpose the Government can get bAol
by redistilling the liquor for the manu-
facture OF munitions The owners o.
, these spirits are to be released from
' their political obligations to pay taxe
on It unless they withdraw II befor,
. seizure.
With the Smoot amendment dispose,
OF, thus settling the question raised re
70 garding the bonded supply, the Senat
II as It's Anal step passed the Robinso,
J. amendment with whicn had been incor
n. porated both the Smoot provision an
n the Cummins amendment OF yesterda
Is forbidding the importation OF spirits.
'e Final Vote Is 40 TO 80.
lr The nnal vote by which the Senate
j. new section ~. which was the Robinso