New-York tribune., 1921-03-11
Red Tape Keeps
Pa1mer's Beer
From Invalids
Brewers Ready, However, to
Alleviate All Kinds of
Ills the Moment New
Regulations Are Issued
Big Supply Promised
Maltsters Very Happy, but
Dry Agents and Anti-Sa-
loon League Are Worried

When A. Mitchell Palmer at 3 o'clock
on this afternoon of March 8 gave an
opinion that good, old-fashioned beer
might be prescribed for medicinal pur-
poses at the discretion of physicians,
and then locked his desk and quit pe-
ing Attorney General, he started some
thing in number OF places.
He started what brewers consider
will be an era Of prosperity. Yester-
day they went to work with a song on
their lips. laughing as they reduced
the alcoholic content of the beer they
brewed, and happy in the belief that
it would not be long before they would
not have to bother about this unproft-
able ceremony
'Tt's the best news I've heard in
years" said Colonel Jacob Rupert, q
local brewer.
Brewers declared that it would be
no trouble at all to put out beer that
would tone up the system, cure rheuma-
tism, relieve pains, strains. aches and
thirsts, and keep the blood cool and
clear. And they said that many a
soda water clerk who once served
malt will come into his own again.
Dry Agents Await Orders
Mr. Palmer started something for
the prohibition auth horities to finish.
- \ i'tAiCAtAOii 1Olllil SlO1leE
Kramer. for instance. who has been go
ing along. doping out regulations cal
cuiated to close al the liquor distil-
.eries and warehouses and makes it
as hard as possible to traffic ;llegally
"A whiskes. He has Just finished a
pretty scheme of various coored
iiquor permits to discourage permit
.orgers. Beer and the possibility Of
Is rising from its state of low alco-
.x,l,
rom worry. Now he has to ait down
and figure out regulations concerning
beer
Charles r. O'Connor, State Director
Of Prohibition, had not seen the opin-
ION of the former Attorney General
yesterday, nor had he received any in
structions from Washington on the
subject. He said, however. that he did
not believe that the opinion meant the
return OF open traffic in beer in sa-
looms.
See End of All Medicinal Drink
Officials Of the Anti-Saloon League
said of the opinion:
"1n our Judgment, the late Attorney
Generals ruling in behalf of the brew
ers as medicine men will not bring
back beer for beverage purposes az the
brewers hope will be the result of this
entering wedge, but will ultimately re-
suit not only in withdrawing legal sane
zion of the beer and wine leaks on al
legged medical grounds. but also in
withdrawing the permission to pre-
scribe alcoholic spirits for medicinal
purposes"
The beer situation here, however, is
still in state Of one-half of l per
cent, and will remain so until the
powers that be in Washington get out
a set of regulations to light the way
Ior the brewers to brew, the we'll to get
sick, the doctors to prescribe and the
prohibition department to supervise.
Three men were held in $4,000 bail
ZACH yesterda by Judge William r.
Bayes, in Brooklyn. They are John
baldwin. Max jenkins and Robert Rock
5Eood, all of 201 West Seventy-ninth
street, Manhattan They are charged
with grand larceny and criminally re-
ceiving stolen goods.
The complainants are William Brandt
and Martin Fitzgerald. They said that
the three men sold them thirty barrels
of water for $4,000.