The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-03-08
APRIL seven DATE
WHEN'1kY''ORDER
INTO EFFECT
Chamber Of Commerce Receives
Message From George Mex.
Mcclellan 10 Washington i,
ARMY AUTHORITIES ST.. =
4 TO cABHM OUT DECREE
Local Liquor People Hope To
Save Something But Are
'''"1 Stin Puzzled


The order signedIby President
Wilson making the Island of Ca
hu "dry zone" will 60 into effect
on or about April I, according to
a cablegram received here yester-
day by the chamber of commerce
from its Washington representa-
tive, George Mex. Mcclellan.
Mr.. McClellan's message said {:
Prohibition order signed; ef-
fectiVe about April T."
The information contained in
this message, which is regarded
as authoritative, conflicts some
what with one received yesterday
by the Bulletin from it's
Washington correspondent. He
cabled that the President signed
the order March Q, to become
effectiYe in thirty days. That
would make it effective April l.
which would make the date one
to be remembered as something
more than merely April Fools
Day.
1t is undersS ood that the de-
cree is to be Carried out by the
war department, from which a
general order definitely fixing the
date will be issued.
Liquor Men In Dark
Following the first report of the de
cree, in which no reference was made
to the time when the order would be
come effective, liquor dealers of the
city cabled to Washington asking
when they would have to close and
also asking FOR other details. No an.
swer has been received to this mes
sage, though it is possible that an an
swer has been sent and has been de-
layed by "Rd<erse sable. editions,
~ which have become q commonplace re-
Gently. -.n
While liquor men Of the city can
have little to say, as they point out
hat they are as much at sea as the
general public and have not been given
any hint of what the general require
ments Win he dAder the new order of
things, eNIfessibhs heard yesterday in.
dictate that th@t Fare hoping to save
something. out of what they regard as
the wreck!
Things Hoped For
Compensation, forced sale to the
government of Communicated stocks
Of goods, partial refunds of federal
and territorial taxes paid for liquor,
and compensation for unexpired IL
censes are some of the things to which
liquor men are pinning their hopes
now and which they trust will tighten
the blow that has fallen.
Oahu will go dry under wholly new
conditions, differing from those that
obtained in cities and states on the
mainland where prohibition has become
effective. While prohibition was
brought about in the cities and states
that are now dry by popular vote, the
Island of Oahu is made dry as a war
measure expressed by the will of the
President under the powers congress
has given him.
Many Questions
As the condition is brought about by
military order and not by statute, the
whole situation bristles with questions
that may or may not be answered
when the formal order is received here
1t is believed in many quarters that
the order will not concern itself with
civilians, who may possess liquor for
their own use or have it shipped in
to them without restraint. Under the
nrla Of HnnnI,,lu N.yil
come under the provisions of the Webb
Kenyon act, which forbids the trans
portatiOn of liquor into a prohibition
area. The order, it is held, does not
make Honolulu a prohibition area in
the ordinary sense of the terms.
Whether the manufacture of beer
anil liquors on Oahu will be forbidden
when the change goes into effect Is
another detail that will not be eX-
planned until all matters in connection
with the order are known. 1t is held
that the Presidents order merely
means an enlargement of the five mile
zone around military enrampments,
and the breweEYplPcPpIe are hopeful
but far from confident.
Every shade of feeling from anger
and disgust to smiling resignation is
to be found among liquor men Of the
CltN VINO realize now That the end or
their business is in sight. President
David II. Lewis of Iovejoy and Com
pany was one of those who smiled
when he WAS asked yesterday how he
viewed the situation.
Nothing To Say
'There 5 nothing we can do or say
until we know rnoF about it," he said.
Nothing TO. say was the brief
reply of President George O'Nei, of
W. c. Peacock and Company.
Nothing teI say,' also said An
thomy +. Fernandez, treasurer and man
aver of Rosa and Company
st. G. Snyrcs, president of the Ho.
nolulu Brewing and Mating Company,
said last might that no changes in the
plant had yet been planned by the
brewing company. He said conditions
would rOmtinha as they are at the
brewery until more definite nfOrma-
ton concerning President WILSON s or
der is received 49, ''"1' 'h'"' - y
% O.. INl a. IA