The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-06-17
suips. LIQUOR. COMPETITION


Let. M say there are four great tranaatlan-
iic liners lying IN New York harbor and duo
10 sil for English ports nt approximately the
tame time; let say that one Of these ships
mIs under tho flag OF England, one under the
Tag of France, one under the flag Of Holland
md one under tho flag OF the United states
pet TINT each Is tho equal and In no respects
The Superior OF the other
At the moment those four nations arc in di-
rect competition with each other for passengers
bent on foreign travel. Since they are in an
American port and since the travel thence must
neccssarily be largely American the American
,hip would command first consideration II things
wereas they should be. But tho realities OF the
fase gare these;
The. foreign owned vessels would be in de-
mand first OF all. especially by experienced
lravslers not only by prospective passengers
but likewise by sailors seeking bcrths SO that
The limited States vessel would not only find
Itself compelled to accept second-rate sailors,
II tho supply was at all short. but would also
lind Itself sailing with a human cargo insult
tcient to cover the expense OF the trip. The
toregn-owned vessels would go out loaded to
capacity and certain profit in sight.
That is the history OF our merchant marine
Tor the past three years. The outstanding diff
terence between United states ships and those
Of other nations Is just this; The United states
phps served no liquors stmulnnts to either
passengers or crew, the foreign-owned served
liquors to both. And American travellers abroad
have filled the foreign owned bottoms month
After month and trip after trip, both going and
roming, while their own Yessels forced TO
sail back and forth. back and FORTH with their
berths only half filled and their crews inferior
TO competitors
Cdn the shipping board legally meet this
eompettion by serving liquors in United states
vessels after they have passed the three mile
limit. and until the vessels return within that
limit? Frankly. we do not know. TO be sure
the government authorities may not allow this
10 be done II they are to be at all consistent.
Whether the constitution follows the flag onto
the nigh seas and into foreign ports, ia de-
batahie question which only legal talent may
pass upon. But the facts are as stated.
basker, head OF the shipping board. that
sink hole OF monumental loss and waste for the
past -four years. was faced with condition
and Ynot n theory. The losses OF the shipping
board were daily mounting higher and higher.
We had the ships, we compelled to keep
them IN commission, but could not success
fully compete with our rivals. HIS business
was to make the business pay, and that could
be done only by attracting business
He did what the business exigency required:
he MET the requirements of his patrons. And
United States ships became popular instead OF
unpopular other things being equal your aver
age american will stick to his patriotism
square through. But other things must be
equal.
We do not deny that theoretically all Amer
leans, themselves living in prohibition terri
tory fshould give preference to the dry ships
That they do not. that even a large majority
of those supporting prohibition at homo prefer
TO travel in circumstances such as stated. wheth-
er from desire to patrouize the bar them
selves or merely because II Is only on such
shlpssa are they able to associate with the people
they desired to associate with we may not say,
conssitutcs only another distressing dcmonstra-
tlou OF the insurmountable difference frequently
existing between theory and practice
The existence OF an American merchant ma
rine ,proba0ly does not depend on serving liquor
to adcs,s and crew; but the alternative will be
u deficit which must be met By all ~ rs dig
gtug. down irto our pockets. whether that def
let win con- in the form of subsidy Is unde.
terIplned ana unimportant
lvha, are facing Is an inueNble condition
that we are nor he master Of. We faced
smAar condition in 1895 in respect TO the none
tary standard, Then We were prepared to adopt
tne .mmctaihc standard providing we could IN
dues The other leading nations 10 so with us
TINS they refused to do. So We dropped the
matte remaining on the single gold standard;
because would have faced business sIagna =
ton. and ruin had we attempted such folly by
ourselves.
Ttls is the kuotty problem the administration
and congress has 10 solve. Sentiment points
where practcabty refuses to 20 without SUBJ
stahtial side inducements. Either way tho de-
cisisn goes travellers and sailors will continue
3 20 get their grog.