Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-21
HAS NO USE FOR
BOOTLEG LIQUOR
Government Says 1t Is Valueless
for Manufacture Of
Munitions.
DOES NOT WANT 1T AS GIFT
, Only Select Grades Used as Med
icines = Fear Impurities,
Even if Redistilled.
DOES NOT WANT 1T AS GIFT

Intoxicating liquor confscated for
violation OF prohibition laws cannot
be used by the War Department in any
form or under any circumstances, ac-
cordns 20 an explicit order received
yesterday by Governor Stuart. This
ruling has ii vital bearing on recon-
menda lions made by Prohibition Com
missioner rcters in his first annual re-
por: TO Governor stuart. and by the
Governor in lis message TO the General
Assembly. Both these officials express
cd the hone that nc large quantities OF
Liquor seized and now held h. orders
cf coCr:s Nigh; be disposed ct to the
United Statcs governments for redis-
, tiiiatior. 50 that the alcohol NIGH, be
used in the lranufacture of munitions
! OF way. %ow the government says it
will not receive the liquor even as "A
gift.
The letter to Governor Stuart, which
is from the adjutant-Ecneral Of the
army by direction Of the Secretary Of
War. and addressed to the chiefs Of
all bureaus and the comma ndinG gen
erals ot all departments and all Ma
tional Guard and National Army divi-
sions.' reads follows:
With reference 20 the disposition OF
United States, you arc Informed that
j; will not be ,.racticsb bic for tho War
Department 10 utilize the same.
SMALL QUANTITIES USED
FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES
For medicinal purposes only rela-
lively small quantities Of very select
grades Of whisky arc utilized. 1t will
no; be practicable for the medical de-
partmcpt TO sort over the large quanti-
tics Of all kinds OF liquor 10 obtain the
small quantity of satisfactory whisky
which would be of use TO it.
The Ordnance Department, after
consultation with tho chief Of tac raw
materials division Of the War InGus.
tries I:card CMr. Summcrs) and tho
chief chemist OF tho Bureau Of In
,crns! Revenue, has como 10 The con-
. clusicn 'nat tho use OF this alcoholic
liquor by that department is not prac-
ticahlc. Thc ordnance department. uses
large dusntitio; OF alcohol in the man
! ifacture OF amokciess. powder. Which -
[ obtains at a iowcr5cost than src cost
of rcdistillinE The con1scsted liquor
into alcohol OF the proper grade, con-
sidcrins the cost of handling and trans-
porting the many small quantities OF
/
ordnance department further state,
that for the manufacture OF smokcless
. powder very pure alcohol Is nee Cd
;nd that the rediStil2tion OF ordinary
commercial intoxicating liquors might
. lead 10 the Introduction Of impurities
in tho rcdistillch alcohol. which would
ir;ur;onSly affect the powder ,nauuIac-
turtd with The Usc of such alcohol.
The ordnance department cannot az
ford To take tho risk Of producing ;rocr
powder for The sake of conserving this
conhscated liquor.
UNABLE 10 SUGGEST OTHER
USE FOR CONFISCA FED GOODS
Officials were unable TO suggest la t
night any other use to which tic con :
facatcd goods might hc put, although
il was suggested that in the mechanic
arts and in the manufacture Of mHdi-
cincs il might he found valuable. nu.
il seems the War Department, docs
not consider the alcohol in the wh:nkv
even coed and pure enough 20 mako.
sn:okeleSS powder with. and IL would
seem it would not be safe TO mn il;
into PEOPLES s.omachs in the fern OF
medicine.
Many courts Throughout, Nir~:.:i,.
notably in the ccnters of population.
, have held confsctted liquor, awaiting
action by the Legislature as 10 it's
disposition. rather than vast the ma
! terial it contains. In Richmond alone.
two rooE?s in :hc basemen, o. tic Ci,y
Hail are well filed with bottles M