The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-09-18

Prohibition Question Before Voters -
President Believes Congress Can De
eide Question of Selling Liquor on
American Ships.
by DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Dispatch to The Reformer J
Copyright 1929. ..
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1S.-A special
session of congress for the middle of
November, just after the elections, is
likely to be called by President Harding.
The President wants ship subsidy
legislation passed by the house at least
before the regular appropriations bill of
the December session. The two weeks
Immediately after the November elec
tons and before the regular session be
gins would enable the house to dispose
of the merchant marine measure by
means of a special rule. This would give
the senate something to work on imme
diately in December. Ordinarily, the
senate marks time during the first few
weeks of December waiting for the house
to originate and pass appropriation bills
Gave Notice of Intention.
Mr. Harding gave notice some time
ago in letter 20 Chairman Campbell
of the house rules committee that if the
ship subsidy bill wasn't passed before
congress adjourned a special session
would be called The President recently
wrote house leaders that he would not
press the matter at this session as the
strike situation at that time threatened
to complicate the whole legislative pro-
gram. His consent to pOstpOnement did
not mean abandonment of merchant ma
rine legislation. On the contrary, 1t was
deemed better strategy to wait until after
the November elections.
The interjection of the prohibition
issue had much TO do with the decision
to postpone ship subsidy legislation until
after the elections. While the admins
tratiCn foreseeS no difficulty in solving
the matter of liquor sales on foreign and
AmericOn ships touching the shores OF
the United States, ii was conceded that
debate on the subject before election
might add unnecessary issues To the con
gresSiOnal campaign. The adminlStra-
ton has no fixed policy about the sale OF
liquor on American ships. The law IN
| the case is considered ambiguous, but
| the economies of the situation are clear
to prohibit liquor sales means an ad
vantage to the passenger ships OF Tor
! eign flags. If congress adds an amount
! i'm a subsidy To compensate American
| owners for their loss the administration
| has no objection to making the ships
| dry. And if congress passes law With
| out taking into account losses to Ameri-
| can ships. then the question of arranging
| by treaty that foreign ships shall not
| carry H0uor to and from American
| shores will arise 1t is doubtful whether
| foreign countries will agree. Perhaps
| the whole matter will be left in abey-
ance, the status quo being maintained
until treaty arrangements can be made
placing foreign ships on the same basis
| as American vessels.
MAY Follow Wishes of Congress.
Mr.. Harding is 80 anxious 10 get rid
of the shipping problem. 50 eager to get
the merchant marine on q sound basis
| that he will no doubt be willing 10 fol
low the wishes of congress on this point
and will press for the legislation itself
| Although the fate of the ship subsidy
bill has been variouSly pictured. the fact
| is President Harding means To insist OF
the measure. 1t is unlikely that con
cress will turn him down, as he will Their
ask congress to bear the responsibility
for higher costs i'm government operation
and maintenance of the war fleet on {
competitive basis with the vessels o.
other countries.
The special session in November car
be taken for granted. Congress Will have
no excuse to evade the issue. As the ses
| sion would be called for one purpose only
the creation of an American merchant
marine through the sale of government
ships to private companies aided by gov
ernment appropriation.