New-York tribune., 1919-07-16
British May Claim
Damages From u. S.
Because of Dry Law
Foreign Stockholders Regard
Prohibition as Conisca-
tory and Consider Bring
ing Diplomatic Pressure

The status Of English stockholders
IN American breweries was explained
In statement issued yesterday by
William H. Hirst, of the law firm OF
Hlrst & Ehrhorn, Is William Street.
Mr.. Hirst said in part:
AS a sovereign power the United
States could not be made the defendant
ii civil suit, but It is possible. es-
pecially IN this evolutionary period Of
diplomatic amenities, that the claim
OF the British subjects may be made
through diplomatic channels. The
moral and equitable force behind such
claim would he equally apparent and
pressing whether il was entertained in
the forum of the civil courts or in the
negotiations of diplomatic intercourse.
IN the final analysis, this is true:
"A business and property witch have
been recognized by The government fro,,,
It's inception and wnich have been
valued al billions of dollars and taxed
TO the extent of millions of dollars
and upon which hundreds Of thousands
OF persons are dependent are being
sweep away without even the forlnali,y
OF an investigation as to the iustice
or necessity and without paying the
owners or dependents one cent far
their damages. Neither reticence mn.
evasion will blind the fair anJ M.
preJudlced person to the real issue
involved.
English Cannot Understand
1T is rot surprising that the suh-
Jects OF Great Britain and other E.ura-
pean countries cannot understand how
their property may be summarily taxet
away from them without offic,a. III
curry and without compensation st
would be most remarkable if .hdir
minds operated otherwise. Jnse-
the English system of government
there Is no such confiscatory mi
chlnery as that which has been
the application Of an anomaly n o,fr
system the so-called police power.
lhls is SO notwithstanding the fact
that Parliament is supreme and none
OF IT'S acts may be set aside when
once enacted.
The British Parliament although
on3nipotent, has never been unmind.
ful OF the immutable rights, privileges
and immunities granted by the Magma
Charta, and consequently has rever
undertaken to pass any prob bition
or excise regulation without at the
same time providing for a method to
determine the necessity for and extent
OF the measure and compensation both
for the property affected and the GOOD
will involved.
"ln passing it must be remarked that
IN no case was il ever deemed either
wise or expedient to put the country
on a cold-water basis. Whatever the
evils OF the lawless saloon or the Oh
lection to hard liquors, the legitimate
place OF beer and wine was always
recognized.'
Two Arrests in Brooklyn
Developments in the prohibition
question yesterday included the arrest
of two liquor dispensers in Brooklyn,
charged with selling Intoxicating
drinks Investigating complaints from,
the Brooklyn Navy Yard, two detec
tives entered the saloon OF Herman
Ehlers, 327 Washington Street, and al
lege they found sailor drinking beet.
they arrested the sailor and joseph
Lehner, the bartender fhlers clain1ef
that he had a right TO sell 275 per
cent beer TO any one as a non-intoxi-
can't.
>, Dietrich Lehmkuhl, grocer of 4o4
Henry Street, was turned over to tho
Federal authorities by the Brooklyn
police, after they had arrested him on
a charge of selling flask of waiskey.
According to Andrew B. Wood, as
sistant superintendent Of the Anti
Saloon League. churches Of New York.
Boston, Chicago and Middle West
cities show that attendance upon re-
ligious worship this july is 10 to IS per
cent above the average Of July last
year.
Prohibition has not dimmed the
gayety of Manhattan's midnight mu-
sical shows. Ziegfeld's Midnight
Frolics" and the Midnight Whrl," at
the Century Roof, have acquired a list
Of high priced fancy drinks with pretty
names