The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-06-14
BIG BREWER
POINTS To
WET SHIPS
Letter Attacking Shipping
Board Is Sent to
Harding.

st. Louis, MO-, June l4.-Nby Lne
Associated Press. "A second letter
on the subject of the sale of liquor
on vessels of the United States
shipping board will be sent to
Chairman Lasker of the board, in 4
few days by Anheuer-Busch, Inc,
it was announced today. The letter
will deny the allegation of Chair
man Lasker that the late Adolphus
Busch was possibly the kaiser 5
closest friend in America, 1t was
added
ST. Louis, Mo-. June IA let
ter charging the United States is
"incomparably the biggest bootleg
ger in the world written by Aug
d gust A Busch, president of Anheu-
/ ser-Busch, inc, while enroute to
Europe aboard the steamship
George Washington, and which has
been forwarded to President Hard
ing, was made public here today,
together with an accompanying let
I ter by Adolphus Busch III, his son.
A third letter by Anheuser-Busch
i Inc. addressed to members of con-
gress, requests an investigation in
to the enforcement of the govern
ment in relation to the prohibition
act
/ The letter of August A. Busch,
addressed to his associates, says in
part:
I'VE are now approaching the
coast of France. AS this vessel is
operated by the United States Ship
ping board l was amazed to learn
that the shipping board vessels are
/ the 'wettest on the ocean
/ Bars "Wide Open"
"I learn that passage on these
: ships has been sold with a positive
money-back guarantee that the bars
/ for the sale of Intoxicating liquors
will be thrown wide open as soon
as thev pass outside the three mile
coast line.
This makes the United States
! incomparably the biggest bootleg
ger in the world.
, There are two reasons which
believe should impel US to bring
this information to the attention OF
the president; the chief executive
is charged with the duty of defend
, ing the constitution and taking care
, that the laws are faithfully execut-
ed and should be informed of this
fact.
Walls About Competition.
"As manufacturers of legal pro-
ducts we have been forced for more
than two years to meet unfair and
unlawful competition in practical
ly every town and city in the Unit
| ed States. For the United States tc
/ set aside its constitution and laws
| in the operation of its own business
! enterprises. increases our Difficult
ties many fold, because it encour-
ages violation of the laws to re-
newed and greater activity.
Il understand that the shipping
board has brought to the notice oi
high officials of the government
the fact that it could not compete
on the high seas with the ships OF
/ other nations and obey the consti-
tuition and the Volstead act. And
either by direct or indirect means
the shipping board is permitted tc
do in the dark that which 1t is IL
legal to do, in order that it may
make money.
Says People Want Liquor.
1--WE should submit to the presi-
dent that the government tolera'
ton of the violation of the law by
the shipping board is proof thai
prohibition laws as now written are
either impractical and non-enforc'
able, or are being disregarded de
i liberately.
"The fact that citizens of tht
United States would not buy pas
sage upon ships of the United State:
so long as the Volstead act wa:
operative upon these ships gives u:
a real sentiment of "a considerable
part of the American people witt
respect to prohibition and we be
lieve that a great majority desire
modification of the Volstead act