The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1921-01-19
YOLSTEAD ACT HURTS
PASSENGER VESSELS
Representatives Of Steamship Lines
Say That They Can Not Compete
with Foreign Ships II They Are Bone
Dry at Sen as ut Home.

Say That They Can Not Compete
With Foreign Ships If They Are Bone
Dry at Sen as ut Home.
Washington, Jan. 13.--American pas
senger steamship officials appealing
today to the house judiciary commit
tee for modification Of the Volstead
act, frankly declared they would be
unable to compete with ships OF for
cign. registry for the trade of the
world unless permitted to handle
liquors for use by patrons beyond the
three mile American limit.
About the only consolation they oh
taincd at the end Of M ali-day hear
Ing was prediction-not for the
record-by Representative Dyer. Re-
publican, Missouri, that "they didn't
have a chance" This comment was
made in open session after Wayne
Wheeler general counsel for the Anti
Saloon league, in opposing any let
down in the present law, expressed
the opinion that some day the world
would be dry and that the ships OF all
nations would sail over the seven seas
without a drop of liquor aboard
The shipping interests insisted, how
ever that they had to deal with prob
lens of the present day, that there
has been Wholesale cancellation of
reservations on American ships by
travellers who found other vessels
bound for the same ports unaffected
by prohibition restrictions, and that
the great task Of trying to make the
american flag supreme on the seas
could not be carried on in competi-
ton with Great Britain and other ma
. tions free Of all legislative handicaps
+. A. S. Franklin, president OF the
international Mercantile Marine,
warned the committee that the death
knell of the merchant marine was
sounded if the ruling by Attorney Gen
eral Palmer that American ships at
sea or anywhere in the world, could
not sell liquor, was permitted to stand.
speaking as he said in all seriousness.
and with no attempt at hippancy E,
a. Quarle, president Of the U. S. Mail
Steamship company, declared owners
/ would be "fit subjects for examina-
| ton In a psycholpathic ward" IL they
invested any vast sum in the building
and conditioning OF ships without as
suranccs that they would be allowed to
compete on equal terms with the coun-
tries endeavoring now to dominate
ocean commerce. Representatives Of
other lines said all they could hope
to obtain was the overflow Of travel.
Harris Livermore, president OF the
United American line, told the com
mittce that construction of many
transatlantic vessels had been con-
templatcd but that with this hanging
over us we can not go ahead until the
question is determined" Half a
dozen witnesses, representing many
captains. testified that as the law
stood today it gave ditinct adyan-
tagc to foreign traders because for
"ignCrS ana 2 multitude Of Americans
refused TO travel on dry ships II they
could book passage on others where
the serving Of wines with meals was
not crime.
Nh Wheeler alone was heard in
opposition to the plea Of the steam
ship folk. made at hearing on bill
by Representative EdmOnds, Of Penn
SylVania, ranking Republican member
OF the merchant marine committee to
exempt passenger vessels engaged in
foreign trade from provisions of the
( VolStead law. Asserting that many
SHIPS now were "bootlcgging" Mr.
Wheeler said the amendment would
multiply tho dilIiculty Of the dry laws
enforcement and that it would be a bad
precedent to rush to the relief Of cv-
crybody whose business was damaged
by prohibition.
1.-TWO RISE