The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-10-11
AMERICAN
SHIPS MUST
Be BONE DRY
D Department Of Justice
Hands Down I'm
portant Ruling on
Prohibition Law
Washington, Oct. 6

terS under an lnferpretatlon OIL the
prohibition amendment and the en-
5orcemenu act handed down today
by the department of justice.
Moreover. the, transportation or
sale Of intoxicants on American
craft. wherever operated, was; held
TO be inhibited.
american territorial waters We're
construed to include those not only
within the three mile limit of cent?
mental United States. bat also
those within the same. limit OF the
Philippines, the Hawaiian Islands,
Puerto Rico. the Virgin Fslands-ana
Alaska. The law would not t.p-
ply in the Panama Canal aoa" as
that zone is specifically exempted
by the statute itself
!; SO far as American shiDs are
concerned, the sale or transperts- p
sion of liquor viii cease at enee. or
as soon as those vessels reach
their home ports In the case OF
foreign ships, the decision will be-
nen1s operative as soon: as the .aee-
essary regulations can be preear-
ed and promulgated by the: .rs.ts-
arya department. -
Court. action: looking TO a fnal
desernai naaion efathes app iicasi6n on
american dry laws to foreign Sips
entering american ports was fere-
seen hF both attorney aG.:e.1ecal
Daugherty and Chairman Lasker :
!. the shipping board. dr. Da1s..i-
ierty said, he had already adyised
that az case WAS a bout TO be :i5ed
which would bring rne issued 10 the
supreme: court. s.ss J;
Chairman Lasller was OF the
opinion that the first move OF for
seign lines would; he to,.s seek 4 aa
Hinjnnetien restraining thez govern
ment from enforcing the law. He
saia. it was reasonable to salnrese
that the courts would grant such IN
Injunction with a result that for
eign ships would continue to arri7e
with liquor on board until there
was final decision by the highest
court. The attorney general said
his department would cooperate in
every effort to expedite a ruling
I by the supreme court.
Publication OF the opinion OF
| the department OF Justice followed
! a White House conference. to which
President Harding summoned slr
! Daugherty. Secretary Hughes and
Secretary Mellon and Chairman
Lasker. Various phases Of the sit
uation were discussed. including ,he
lpessible results of enforcenne up
on the international relations 81
/ the United States:
High administration officials ex-
/ planned there was no course fol
the executive branch Of the govern.
iment except to enforce the law as
Interpreted by the legal depart.
naent. The Interpretation was bas-
! ed upon recent decisions of the SUI
ipreme court in q case involving the
authority OF the United States te
! interfere with the transfer OF. a Ii.
euor cargo from one foreign shiT
to another in an American port
! In divided opinion the cour1
t.conhrmed the authority Of prohibi.
ttion agents to, prevent such q
transfer, and the view OF the at
torney general went so far as tt
] hold that the Eighteenth amend.
! ment. and the Volstead act repeal
! ed q prior existing treaty with Grea
Britain. Chairman Lasker pre-
dicted that enforcement of the Law
would operate to an immediate dis.
advantage of the American mer.
chant marine and would mak'
more necessary enactment of th'
ship. subsidy bill if the America,
flag was to stay on the high seas
He believed the ruling would have
great influence in congress Whe1
the. subsidy bill vas taken up.
An undoubted effect of the en-
I fofcement. Mr.. .Lasker said. would
be TO hamper the board in its, ef
forts TO build up American shipping
TO the Orient and South America
Z; He expected Vancouver, b. c., t,
profit at the expense particular.
Of Seattle and Portland in tn,
Oriental trade and Montreal 1T III.
expense of New York in the South
American trade. Also he looked
for Montreal to gain over New
York in the transatlantic trades
Irrespective of the decision of tn
!supreme court, the shipping boart
chairman said. foreign shippins
would have ar advantage ovel
American lines. AS an illustration
he said that even if the coGr
should hold that foreign ship:
might not bring liquor into Ameri
can territorial waters. they coul'
sell up TO the three mile limit ol
their inward voyage and dunn
overheard any remaining stocks.
In discussing the opinion Nh
L.asker emphasized that he va
viewing the situation as it existed
and neither as "a wet Or as q dry.
The sale OF liquor on shippin;
board vessels was based on al
opinion OF the general counsel 0
the board, who held that it did no
contravene the prohibition laws
Opening OF the ships bars was or
dered on a vote Of the board. Will
Commissioner Frederick /. Thomp
son casting the only dissentin.
Vote.
Orders for enforcement of pro
hibition laws. As construed by Nj
Daughefty. We're issued by Presi
dent Harding late today. In a let