New-York tribune., 1919-07-01


all offenders as to whom evil
dence is furnished by the bureau of
Investigation, the agents of the inter-
nal revenue bureau of the Treasury
Department, local officers or others,
and the marshals and their deputies
will promptly serve such warrants.
with the cooperation Of local au-
thoritics, it is believed that the law
can be made effective. For this reason
| call attention to the fact that it is
the duty OF local arresting officers to
make arrests for offences committed
in their presence, whether the offence
be against the laws of the state or the
laws OF the United States.
II confidently expect tho hearty
cooperation OF local municipal authori-
ties and earnestly request that all
poice officers be instructed to arrest
persons found selling in violation of
the war prohibition act and to take
such persons before q United States
commissioner, when the District Attor-
Ney Will cause warrants to issue. Local
officers should also report to the United
States attorneys evidence of offences
not committed in their presence"
Take Gamblers Chance
Saloons selling %. per cent beer will
take gamblers chance and stay open
at their own risk, 1t was emphasized.
From the very inception of the war
time law there has been the greatest
confusion regarding its provisions.
President Wilson, in p message to the
present Congress, recommended repeal
Of the law in so far as it related to
light wines and beers, but this was
passed over with little consideration.
In q statement given out Saturday
night the President announced that he
WAS without authority to suspend OPP
Grafton OF the act at this time, but
that he would do so as soon as the
army was dcmobilzed. Until the very
end dealers everywhere had held to
the forlorn hope that the President
would set aside the law
Confusion Results
This confusion extended even into
official quarters. Early to-day officials
of the Department of Justice said the
law prohibited the sale of 20. per cent
beer and light wines. and then on the
heels of this the District Attorney at
Baltimore announced that he had re-
ccived instructions from Washington
not to interfere with such sales for the
/ present. After the issuance of the
Attorney Generals statement officials
dismissed the whole subject with the
|
"reverscd" itself
There were all sorts of rumors af1oat
in Washington tonight as to what
might happen in Congress in view Of
the stand taken by the Department Of
Justice. Some members insisted there
would be a demand tomorrow in the
House Tor immediate consideration Of
the straight wartime enforcement bill
and that not even an agreement for q
recess over the holiday could prevent
action once the fight was launched.
Would Separate Clauses
The argument was advanced in quar-
ters not generally regarded as ardent
Tor prohibition that the wartime bill,
sent IN as part of q general measure,
could be taken out without affecting
the other parts and passed after an
agreement to dispense with debate.
Later IN the evening, however. some
OF the prohibition leaders said they
would be content to proceed with plans
for the holiday. But there WAS a gen
eral feeling OF uncertainty. and men,
bers who are prepared to block efforts
20 put through wartime enforcement
without full cons liberation of amend
ment5 to change the alcoholic percent
age and other provisions said there vir-
tuully was no chance before next week.
For Medicinal Purposes
Stringent regulations governing the
sale OF alcohol for medicinal purposes
were issued to-day by the Bureau of
+ Internal Revenue.
Physicians may prescribe wines and
liquors for internal uses or alcohol for
external uses the regulations said,
but in every such case each prescrip
ton shall be in duplicate and both
copies be signed in the physicians
handwriting. The quantity prescribed
for q single patient at q given time
shall not exceed one quart In no case
shall physician prescribe alcoholic
liquors unless the patient is under his
constant personal supervision
"All prescriptions shall indicate
clearly the name and address Of the
patient ircluding street and apartment
number, if any, the date when written,
the condition or illness for which pre-
scribed and the name of the pharma-
els. 10 whom the prescription is to be
presented for hlling.'
Similar detailed restrictions on the
sale of alcohol by drug stores were
promulgated All prescriptions must
be preserved, and once month a list
Of physicians prescribing alcohol, the
names of the patients and the total
quantity dispensed TO each patient dur
ing the month must be transmitted to
the Collector Of Internal Revenue.
Powers of Pharmacists
Pharmacists were advised to refuse
to FL prescriptions if they had reason
to believe physicians were dispensing
for other than strictly legitimate medi-
cinal uses or that q patient was OBJ
tanning through several physicians
quantities IN excess OF the normal
amount.
Liquor dealers, wholesale and retail
having stocks on hand, may sell to
pharmacists holding permits until the
present stocks are exhausted.
Alcohol for internal use must pay the
tax OF $40 a gallon, while alcohol
mcdicated to render it unfit for bevcr-
age use viii be taxed at S2.20.
Wine used Tor sacramento purposes
may continue TO be made in quantities
not exceeding 900 gallons ii produc-
ron and distribution are entirely under
clerical supervision. II must pay the
usual tax Collectors were ordered to
j Investigate carefully and report fully
to the commissioner any complaints
that existing regulations were inapplic-
able to the established procedure Of any
recognized religious body.
Announcing that the Department Of
Justice has exclusive jurisdiction to
enforce prohibition, the regulations
sald
"Whcn internal revenue officers be-
come aware of apparent violations they