, 1922-06-15
Mr.. Busch Calls Attention

AR AUGUST BUSCH, head of the Anheuser-
vi Busch concern, of st. Louis which was in the
old days the largest brewing institution in the
country, is ON a European trip. He crossed on the
United States S. S. George Washington operated
by the United States Shipping Board. 1t is quite
natural that Mr.. Busch would come in contact with
the bill of fare but it was much 10 his surprise that
he discovered the wine list printed on the last page,
offering for sale at approximately pre- prohibition
prices everything in the way of ales, wines, beers
and liquors ever heard of when such refreshments
were a matter of course. A note on the wine card
advised the traveller that the goods were obtain
able only during the round trip from the three-mile
limit.
Mr.. Busch calls the attention of the American
government 30 the fact that we are at present and
have been for several years enjoying a bone dry
condition throughout the territory of the United
States of America; and that under the law and
the constitution, supplemented by numerous court
decisions in the matter an American ship floating
the American flag is American territory and sub
Iect to the laws of the United States wherever she
may be upon the seas. And since American SOW
erignty follows the flag in this case, the sale of
liquors on American government boats is a viola
tion of the constitution and the enforcement laws
Of the land.
Mr.. Busch is quite right in his contention and
the matter, except that when the Shipping Board
Undertook to operate dry ships they had no pas
sengers- No one, not even Americans, would trare
hpon anybodys boats where things were tedious
and ~tasteless and nothing doing but NAL de mer
On the French boats, the English boats, italian
md German boats things were different. There
was an apufuahcO oi party mdhh Z out ny ne
prescription clerk in white jacket, there was the
highly polished foot rail and everything.
The upshot of the thing was that foreign boats
had a waiting list for cabin space to Europe and
elsewhere, and American boats had no passengers
at all, more than on an occasional rainy day a
Sunday school excursion or an old maids travel
club doing the battle fields, would drop in to
harass the booking agencies
s The Shipping Board didn't have the nerve, with
General Dawes and a tight-wad congress on duty
TO ask for more money to conduct the shipping
business, especially after the way the Wilson re
gime shoveled out the kale with steam shovels, sc
Some bright young man connected with the board
dug up some brass railing and various sizes and
kinds of glassware out of storage, polished them
all up, and European travel picked up promptly
from that point on. Now the tables are turned
American boats are crowded and foreign boats are
~squawking about slack business.
! 1t may be wrong. Doubtless very wrong for the
United States to go into the saloon business. But
when you cater to the public you must give the
public what the public desires. 1t is admitted that
The travelling public has very bad taste, in fact a
sery pronounced bad taste for liquors OF high per
eentage. Remember always that the travelling pub
JIG is away from home and is bound to have its
fling. If it declines to travel on liquorless ships
there is but one thing to do, if you Yant to make
sour ships pay for their keep-wet 'em up a little
We are not advised as to what Mr.. Volstead has
10 say on this very interesting subject on how Mr..
Haynes views matters; but We are convinced Mr..
Busch has handed the American government one
10 which a reply will have to be made. We are also
pf the opinion that if there was any way whereby
AFR. Busch could have got into the game with his
sell-known product, he never would have bawled
ahe slightest bawl.