The New York herald., 1920-01-26
TO BAR U.S.LIQUOR
TRAFFIC ABROAD
Dry Leader Declares Nation
Has Power to Control Citi-
zens in Foreign Lands.
CITES TREATY WITH CHINA
Measure in Congress Aims to Extend
Prohibition Statute to Ameri-
cans Abroad.

A defence Of the bill that has been in
troduced in Congress to prevent American
citizens from enga g'ing in the liquor traffic
i'm certain foreign countries was made
yesterday in a statement from Wayne B
Wheeler. general counsel of the Anti
Saloon League of America
The BILL he says. has the Endorsement
and backing of the Anti-Saloon League
the National w. C. T. T., the Federal
Council of Churches of Christ in America
land the national council composed from
temperance organizations and lesders OF
missionary boards in the United States.
THE introduction Of the bill in Congress
has raised many inquiries as to how this
can be done Manufacturers OF liquor an6
those bibulously inclined see in it a new
menace to personal liberty.
"The basis upon which this legislation
rests is what is known as eXtraterritori'
atty. IT is a system which has been de-
veloped with Increasing power since 1857
when 1t was first suggested by Chinese
official that an English offender in China
should be punished by his own nation
This system was brought to more sue
cessfuI consummation by the treaty OF
the United States with China in 1874, or
the eve of our sXty-eighth anniversary
THE treaty in question provided that
all citizens of the United States who may
commit any crime in China shall be sub.
ject to be tried and punished only by til.
consul and other public func;onary ol
the United States thereto authorized ac.
cording to the law OF the United States
THE consuls in China became judges
of the consular courts in .heir juris-
diction covers a variety of subjects. In
asmuch as many of these consuls are not
especially versed in the law, it was de.
cided to establish United States court r
China. The law was finally adopted ir
1906 and the court opened for business II
1907. Judge Charles S. Lobinger is iudg,
Of the United States Court in China today
Congress has the power to extend any
law of the United States of America con
sular districts in foreign countries. Thi:
principle of extending legislation by the
federal government was established wher
laws were enacted by Congress to make
| the statutes of Virginia enforceable il
part OF the District OF Columbia which
had been ceded by that State. There arr
many illustrations of this Legislative powel
to extend operations of laws
| When the absence Of the Sunday in
ebriates was drawn to the notice of Mag
istrate rockingham, in the Tombs Court
| he said
THE situation, though nothing TO b,
surprised at, is Very satisfactory. ] dc
not drink, but I am strongly opposed e
prohibition as a constitutional amend
! ment. ] consider it an interference with
liberty and directly opposed to the consti
tuition. and it is not a federal matter, any.
how. But the type Of drunkard that comes
through these courts is going to find bene.
fit. He invariably represents a man who
was on his way home and yielded to temp.
tation in the shape of a saloon that con.
fronted him at every turn.
with that eliminated, the danger re-
moved. his mind is diverted into other
channels. and We are spared the trouble
of dealing with him in the court The
men who are determined to get drink al
all hazards are. 7 think, very few. The
passing of the old-time saloon is bless.
ing, but that does not alter my pro.
nounced ideas on the principle of prohibi.
ton secured by constitutional amend.
ment"