The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-06-14
CUSTOM is
Defended
BY LASKER
Shipping Board Chairman
Cites War Record of
Brewers.

Washington, June 14.-The ship
ping board holds tnat neither tne
VoIstead act nor the 18th amend
ment apply TO American ships out
side the 3-mile limit" Chairman
Lasker declared today in a letter
TO Adolphus Busch III, vice presl-
dent of the Anheuser-Busch Brew
ing company OF st. Louis. Confirm
ing reports tnat alcoholic drinks
we're being served on American
ships at sea, Mr.. Lasker asserted
mat the shipping board had approv-
ed this custom both from the
Standpoint of legal right and from
the standpoint of the life and Sc
curity of our national merchant
marine.
The shipping board has permit
ted and will continue to permit the
serving Of liquor on its ships" he
continued, 80 long as foreign flag
ships are allowed to enter and de-
part from our shores exercising
mat privilege"
Answers for Harding.
MIR. Lasker's letter was in reply
10 a communication addressed by
Mr.. Busch to President Harding
with reference to alcoholic drinks
being regularly served on shipping
board vessels at sea. The matter
had been referred TO him, the ship
ping board chairman explained.
since the president is unacquaint-
ed with the subject you cover"
While it was true. Mr.. Lasker
lat
general in the prior administra-
ton" had held the prohibition laws
were effective on American ship
ping wherever operated, the pres
ent general counsel of the snip
ping board, his two assistants and
the chairman himself were con-
rinced that such an opinion was
not soundly based, and had ap-
proved the inclusion of wine lists
as regular equipment of boats op-
Grated under the boards supervl-
sion for use, however. only beyond
the jurisdictional coastal line.
Palmer Opinion Wrong.
THE prior chairman of the board
had issued orders that the Palmer
opinion must be respected, Mr..
Lasker said, but it is true that in
fact during the Wilson admlnistra-
ton insofar as the shipping board
operated passenger SHIPS liquor
was served. -.
so long as Great Britain, Japan,
France, Germany and other mari
time nations continue to servo
liquors TO American passengers l
am ashamed to state that my eX-
perience leads me TO believe there
Is a sufficient number of Ameri-
cans without proper pride IN their
own fagships who would divert
their trade to the foreign flags to
the extent that the competition
would be from a profit operating
standpoint very heavily against the
American ship.
Your letter to the president has
been written entirely with a view
TO the effect on the public when
published, and in an attempt 10 IN
sure publication l am informed that
you have sent printed copies OF
your letters TO the press of America
BuSch'S Motive Selfish.
Therefore. my reply TO you is
not merely intended for you, but
is also written with a view to pub
lie rejoinder.
Il believe you to be thoroughly
selfish and that you are acting in
the hope of creating a public revolt
against prohibition so that you may
again revive the sale of your liQ-
uors, utterly regardless of how you
might hurt the American merchant
marine in your effort 10 create a
situation to benefit your brewery.
1t is, of course, notorious that
The Adolphus Busch who founded
your brewery was possibly the kai-
ser's closest friend in America, and
mat your family for many years has
maintained a castle in Germany.
Continued on Page Eleven)