The sun., 1919-07-02
War Time Prohibition Law
Openly Defied in Some
Instances.
DISPOSITION TO OBEY
Freedom Of Getting Drinks
on 2.75 Basis Causes
Relief.
U. S. OFFICIALS WATCH
Rely on Local Police to Take
Amy Action Against
Violators. ... q.

the first days application OF war time
prohibition yesterday In New York
city or anywhere in the metropolitan
district. The public generally &C
cepted the Governments mandate
philosophically. There were no ar
rests Of dealers for violation Of ths
law. ~' r.
The absence Of any popular express
sion Of disapprovai was due. II was
said Yesterday, to the fact that the
inhibitions had been placed upon the
public gradually. Workmen were
able to obtain their beer without re-
straint. and the demand Cor stronger
beverages was reported BY the places
that kept open to have been even BE-
low what was expected. '-s.-..e
Ninety per cent. Of the saloons in
the greater city were open as usual
yesterday for the sale Of beer. Some
openly defied the law and continued
the sale Of spirituous liquors, par
ticularly in the early morning. The
sale OF wines, such as sherry. Rhine
wines, claret and port, went on with
little Of no interruption. - ''t '-'
Most Of the large hotels IN New
York city consumed the sale Of beer
despite announcements on Monday
night that Sh.s would be discontinued.
This was the result Of Attorney -Gen-
erai A. Mitchell Palmer's announce
nient that his attitude toward this
breach Of the law would be governed
by the outcome Of cases in courts in-
volving the intoxicating properties Of
AIS per cent. beer. 1t was also de-
spite his announcement that such
sales might later be held to be vio-
lauons.
Federal omciaIs Hold OF.
1t was apparent that the Federal
officials contemplated no drastic ac-
tion toward these technical viola tons
in the absence Of formal complaints,
and equally apparent that there was
no disposition on the part Of the pub
lie generally to file complaints.
War time prohibition, as il was
exemplified. In New York city yes
terday. hardly caused a ripple Of
reaction. There was an abundance
OF beer, plenty of claret, sherry and
port-guarnnteed by the !venders to
be non-intoxicating-an a carefully
an nlp,,l lot fn1 - no I'D 1tnt
available for PIE asking. The result:
When the city woke up yesterday TO
the realization that war time prohibl-
ton actually was in effect It paused,
observed and decided that the sltus-
ton was not so bad after all.
While the great majority Of hotel
and saloon men governed themselves
by advice Of counsel and the sugges-
tlon of Attorney General A. Mitchell
Palmer that they might continue the
sale of the 2.T5 beer and non-lntoxi-
eating wines with certain degree OF
impunity some others went even
further and sold everything for which
there was any demand that they could
supply. .....
On the whole. however, there was
surprising disposition on the parr
of the liquor men to keep within the
law as it has been interpreted to
them, and 70 their crcdit Il may be
said that they did so. The liquor
men, with few exceptions, feel that
they cannot be impugned IL they con.
tinue the sale Of war beer Of the
2.75 per cent. alcoholic standard. and
they acted accordingly, This wns in
the face of the Attorney-Generais
statement that in doing so they might
run chances Of prosecution. Most Of
them decided to take the chance. ..
some Mars Are shut Down.
Some few of the larger hotels and
in isolated instances some saloons
shut up shnp entirely and announced
their intention Of remaining closed
until court determination OF the
question of what II Intoxicating
liquor is made. Others began immedi'
ate preparations for the conversion
of their bars into soda fountains a.
a permanent feature, but in these iIl'
stances It was generally found tina.
liquor stocks had run low and the
business did not warrant the mahI.
tennnce of the property solely in thu
anticipation Of short wet interval
before the national prohibition ame,i,I.
ment becomes effective next January,
There WAS plenty Of evidence early
in the day that hard liquor was oir