The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-10-23
NEW REGULATIONS FOR ''DRY VESSELS ARE NOW IN EFFECT
snipS Now at Sea Must Empty All Liquor Before Reach ing Port Under
 Order
By Associated Press

Washington, October 22.-Ocean steamers which sailed from foreign ports today for the United States faced the necessity of computing the amount of alcoholic beverages on board against the mileage shown by and decanter must be emptied before the ship enters the American mari tine Jurisdiction, under an interpre- tation of the prohibition laws, which became effective at 12:o1 a. m. to- day.
 Fleets Of nine companies are tenn porarily exempt from operation of the law by reason of injunction pro- ceedings pending before Federal Judge Hand in New York. and will be permitted to enter with their wet goods sealed under the system which prevailed before Attorney General Daugherty ruled that the eighteenth amendment and the Volstead act ap- piled to American territory" as a whole and not only to the continen- tai terra firma.
 The nine exempt" lines include two American lines and seven regis tered under foreign flags-the Cum ' ard, Anchor, White Star, French, In ternational Navigation, Holland American, Seandinavian-A American and the Royal Steam Packet. They have sought permanent injunction against enforcement of the law on the ground that MT. Daugherty went further than the authors of the stat ute amendment intended, or if he did not err in this respect, then the get itself was Illegal in scope.
 Clear Situation
 All other ships come within the laws meaning set forth by the Attor- hey General and approved by Presi- dent Harding. Administration off cials did not foresee an immediate contingency arising from violation by some foreign ship. Transatlantic liners require from five to eight day" to complete their voyage. It was considered probable, therefore, that week might elapse before the en- forcement agents would be called on to apply the new restriction in spe- cifie case.
 Meanwhile. officials here were con- tiQent mat the IOTlHCOfHiHB QcSleAoA of Judge Hand might serve tempo rarily to clear the atmosphere. Re- gardless of it's nature. an appeal, however, will be taken to the su- preme court
 k Secretary Mellon is expected to tive approval tomorrow to regula- N Niions Formulated by the prohibition sureau for guidance Of customs and prohibition authorities along the coasts.
 Limit to Threc-Mile Zone
 The regulations are expected to de- limit clearly the activities of the dry navy to the three-mle zone ex- cept in cases of ships which have illegally established contact with the shore. while themselves outside the zone Several cases involving this point already are engaging the at tention of federal authorities. not ably of the Canadian schooner Elm erald, which was recently seized eight miles off New York.
 The British embassy has made a1 issue of the Emerald seizure, con tending there was no evidence to show that she was in touch with American territory.
 The prohibition agents at New York assert that they came on the ship while small boats from the shore were engaged in transferring her liquor cargo, and that this was sufficient to warrant her detention. A more complete report has been asked by the state department.