The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-10-08
Ships Feel
Effects of
Dry Ruling
Customs Officials Seal All
Liquor Stocks of Incoming
Vessels Under Attorney
Generals Decision.
Outgoing Steamers WEI

New York. Oct. 7.-tBy 4. Pt-
There was the usual moaning OF the
BAR upon liners putting out TO SEA
today despite Attorney General
Daugherty's ruling on high seas
liquor and tho announcement of
Chairman Lasker at Washington that
all shipping board craft had been or.
dered to travel dry.
Incoming vessels were first 10 feel
the effects Of the attorney generals
ruling, on arriving IN port. each yes.
sci. irrespective Of the flag Il flew,
was boarded by customs officials, who
locked and sealed all bars. liquor
stores and even the private supplies
Of ships officers and seamsn.
Confronted by the possibility Of a
parched voyage across the Atlantic,
u score Of passengers scheduled for
the shipping board craft America,
threatened to leave the ship at the
last minute only when officers Of
the United States lines, who manage
the vessel assured the thirsty ones
that In the absence Of definite in.
structions from Washington the bars
would be open as usual" was the ship
able TO depart with It's full sailing
list.
SIteptics Doubtful.
There were provisions, however,
which skeptics eyed with misgiyngs.
Orders might come. said the offlcinls.
in time TO be transmitted TO the
America by wireless. In which case
the bars might be sealed in middle
ocean,
The Majesteic mastodan Of the
seas. likewise sailed without inter.
ference from customs authorities. its
$4,000 supply OF liquor ready for tie
expected onslaught beyond the three
mile limit, while Star line chiefs de
clined to discuss Mr.. Daugherty's rul.
ing, except to say 1T apparently
won't hit the Majestic this time"
The absence of customs officials
also lent spirits to the departure Of
the Giuilo Cesare, which sailed for
Genoa and Naples with wellstocked
lockers. IL rot only carried a supply
for passengers but several hundred
gallons OF wine for Its Italian crew,
hired in Naples under the usual con.
Tract st.plIiating wine with each meal.
Barkeeper Ousted.
Even the barkeeper was ousted from
his quarters, so thorough was the job
Of the customs officials in sealing up
its liquor supply when the Stockholm
docked The private stocks of the cap
tain and the crew who came into port
unwarned of the Daugherty rule, were
sealed tight.
But while they looked on in grieved
silence, there was one exultant passen.
ger, Mrs. Lydia johnson of Pierre, S.
D., who cheered the officials in their
task. She is prohibition worker,
just returned from an unsuccessful
to make Norway and Swe.
den dry.
Orders to turn the spigots and heal
the casks were received by radio
aboard the German North.Lloyd liner
Hanover while it still was some dis.
.ance out, according to passengers.
Not understanding the order, they
said, ship officials closed the bars
ong before the threemle limit was
'eached.
Backed by Precedents.
The general opinion of local steam
ship men and experts in admiralty
aw was that Attorney General
position was backed by
'ack more than 100 years In some
quarters the belief was expressed that
" prohibiting all ships from bring.
ng liquor into American ports, ship
ling board craft would he placed
pon a more even competitive basis
With foreign.owned vessels.
Transatlantic passengers will shun
Try voyages, however, was the opin-
On Of other shipping men and may
esult in some of the big foreign com.
anies docking at Canadian ports in.
tead OF those Of the United States,
'till others declared it would be i'm.
osslhle for large ships. such as the
lajestic and Mauritania, "a establish
egular "booze lighters" outside the
hree,mile zone whore they would
ave supplies on entering and pick
hem up ON sailing away.
II also was pointed out that Amer,
"a would In no ease ba able 20 Pre-,
ent ships bringing liquor from
EUROPE, as long as supplies were dis.
osed u before they touched the
arce mile line