The New York herald., 1921-12-25
Unwarranted Use of Sacra-
mental Wine Permits
to Be Stopped.
GIFT MOTOR is SEIZED
Man Delivering Liquor Pres
ents Failed to Heed Law
on Transportation.

Somewhere in New York last night
were 155 prohibition enforcement
agents who had been sent out with
instructions from their chief to watch
the liveliest hotels and restaurants
for Illicit drinking. but at the same
time to "use common sense"
Ralph A. Day. director Of prohibi-
tion, had failed to define what he
meant by common sense. His agents,
however, made no arrests. or at least
no arrests were reported at any of
the police stations. And, though OBJ
servers said, it was plain that this
Christmas Eve was less drunken than
any that have gone before, it was
equally plain that much drinking was
being done.
All the drinking, whether in dark cor
ners. in hotels or in homes, was done In
spite of a warning sent out by District
Attorney Lewis of Brooklyn against
wood alcohol. He recalled the case Of
John Romanelli, Brooklyn undertaken.
now serving five years In prison for be-
ing responsible for the deaths of almost
one hundred persons.
Romanelli sold wood alcohol to Car
mine Licenziata, who colored it and bot
tied it for the Christmas trade. ,rhe
Appellate Division yesterday upheld
LicenZiatas conviction.
Mr.. Day announced four rabbis had
volunteered their services to aid him
in checking any frauds there might be
in the sale of sacramental wines, and
he recommended their appointment to
Washington to assist him in approving
permits for wine Withdrawals.
Sudden show of Religion.
They are Chief Rabbis s. H. Jofre.
A. A. Yudelovitch. 3. l.. Levinthal and
C. w. Margolis. It will be their duty to
pass on the Jewish congregations seek
ing to withdraw wines. Small congre-
cations of unattached Jews have sprung
up overnight, Mr.. Day said. They elect
a rabbi and vest In him the authority
to withdraw sacramental wines for the
congregation. The Volstead act permits
ten gallons of sacramental wine year
to each family of a congregation. which
can be purchased on an order from the
rabbi. The rabbi is licensed by the pro-
hibition director. and the licenses or per-
mits of number have been cancelled,
Mr. Day said, for overes,fmating the
number OF families in their congrega-
tions.
Mr.. Day said he found the reformed
Jewish congregations withdrew very
little sacramental wine.
Mr.. Day made 1t clear yesterday he
had no intention Of attempting to secure
the use Of unfermented fruit juices In
place Of wine. Suggestions that this be
done came. he said. from members of
various church organizations and not
from his Office. He declared there was no
desire on his part to impose restrictions
on such religious observances.
mo recommendations have come to
me for the discontinuance of sacramental
Wines" he said. THE volstead act re-
permits and until such time as there is a
revision of the law am going to see
that II is enforced to the letter."
With the aid OF the four chief rabbis
Mr.. Day hopes to stop fake congrega-
tons from getting wine. The sugges-
ton came from Louis Marshall and
other prominent Jews, who were anx-
ious TO stop bootlegging activities that
cast discredit on their religion. Among
liquors seized yesterday in the saloon of
Nicholas Gales at 56 Mulberry street,
Newark, n. j.. was a barrel of eacra-
mental wine assigned to Rabbi Lewis
Chenkins Of 29f Grove street, Jersey
City. the police say. There is a Rabbi
Chenkins in Jersey City. according to
tnc ponce, Dut ne does not live on Grove
street, and an investigation Is being
made TO discover how the wine got to
Newark. Gales said he bought 1t for
his personal use.
John J. Hanley OF 1881 Broadway. with
his chauffeur driving high priced Sc
dan. startetd out to deliver Christmas
presents to old friends. Federal Prohi-
bition Agents Neuberger and Mead In
terrupted the distribution and found.
they say. that Mr.. Hanley was cheering
his friends with whisky, wine and cor
dials. The Volstead act requires a per-
NIT for the transportation of even
Christmas presents IL they contain more
than a half of / per cent. kick, and
even then they can be transported only
from one legal domicile to another so
Mr.. Hanley and his chauffeur. Angelo
Stefanio, were arrested. The automobiic
was seized and taken with the gifts to
the Knickerbocker Warehouses.