Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-10-08
MOANING OF THE BAR"

MOANING OF THE BAR"
New York, Oct. There was the
usual moaning of the bar" upon liners
putting out to sea Saturday despite
Attorney General Daughertys ruling
on high seas liquor and the announce
ment of Chairman Lasket at Washing
ton that all shipping board craft had
been ordered to travel dry.
Incoming vessels were first to feel
the effects of the attorney general S
ruling On arriving in port, each yes
sci, irrespective of the flag she flew,
was boarded by customs officials who
locked and sealed all bars. liquor stores
and even the private supplies of ships
officers and seamen.
Confronted by the possibility of a
parched voyage across the Atlantic, a
score of passengers booked to sail on
the shipping board craft America,
threatened to leave the ship at the last
minute Only when officers of the
United American lines, who manage the
vessel, assured the thirsty ones that
''in the absence of definite instructions
from Washington, the bars would open
as usual was the ship able to depart
with her full sailing list.
There was a proviso, however, which
skeptics eyed with misgiving.
Orders might come, aaid the officials,
in time to be transmitted to the Amer
lea by wireless, in which case the bars
might be sealed in mid-Ocean.
The Majestic, mastadon of the seas,
likewise sailed without interference
from customs authorities, her $4,000
supply of liquor ready for the expected
White Star line chiefs declined to dis
cuss Mr.. Daugherty's ruling, except to
say, 1T apparently won't hit the Ma
jestic this time"
The absence of customs officials
also lent surprise to the departure of
Giulio Cesare, which sailed for Genoa
and Naples with well stocked lockers
She not only carried a supply of pas
sengers but several hundred gallons of
wine for her Italian crew, hired in
Naples under the usual contract, stip-
ulating wine with each meal
Even the barker was ousted from
his quarters, so thorough was the job
of the customs officials in sealing up
her liquor supply when the Stockholm
docked Saturday. The private stocks
of the captain and crew, who came
into port unwarned of the Daugherty
rule, were sealed tight.
But while most of the others looked
on in grieved silence there was one ex-
ultant passenger, Mrs. Lydia Johnson
of Pierre, $. D., who cheered the of
ficials in their task. She is a prohi-
bitiOn worker, just returned from an
unsuccessful campaign to make Norway
and Sweden dry.
Casks Sealed at Sea
Orders to turn the spigots and seal
the casks were received by radio
aboard the North German Lloyd ship
Hanover, while she still was some dis
tance out, according to passengers.
Not understanding the order, they said,
ship officials closed the bar long be-
fore the three-mile limit was reached
The general opinion of local steam
ship men and experts in admiralty law
was that Attorney General Daugher-
tvs position was backed by numerous
precedents, some dating back more
than 100 years. In some quarters the
belief was expressed that by prohibit
ing all ships from bringing liquor into
American ports, shipping board craft
would be placed upon a more even
competitive basis with foreign owned
vessels.
transatlantic passengers will shun
dry vessels, however, was the opinion
of other shipping men, and the ruling
may result in some of the foreign
companies docking at Canada ports in
stead of those of the United States.
Still others declared it would be pos
sible for large ships, such as the Ma
Gstic and Mauretania, to establish
regular "booze lighters" outside the
three mile zone, where they would
leave supplies on entering and pick
them up on sailing away.
1t also was pointed out that America
would in no case be able to prevent
ships bringing in liquor from Europe.
as long the supplies were disposed of
before they touched the three-mile
limit.