New-York tribune., 1922-06-25
Noted Hotel, Obeying Act,
Is Unable to Compete
With Wet Cafes Where
Volstcad Rule Is a Joke
Leased for Trade
Use After August |
Business Men DenOuncc
Unequal Enforcement ;
Cite Liquor on Ships

Coincidc1tal with n statcmcn, issued
Yesterday by the Heart of New Nork
Business Mems Association. in which
;hc assertion was made that unequal
enforcement OF the Volstead act was
on rs way 20 ruin not only American
shipping. but also American hotels. It
was announced that the Claridge Hotel
would close on August |. l.. NJ. Boomer
president OF the Claridge Hotel Com
pany. Inc. and one Of the foremos,
hotel mon in the country. said the non
enforcement OF the Eighteenth Amend
ment had made this action necessary,
lie could not compete. he said. with
other Broadway places that did not
trouble about the Volstead act and
were no; troubled by H. So the Clar-
idre has been leased FOR twen,y-ont
years 20 Morris Glazer. Of Cleveland
Ohio. and will be made into n business
place. with stores and Offices. For this
Mr. Glazcr will pay an aggregate rental
Of >500o.o0
Law Obeyed Implicitly
"Whue The Hotel Claridge has
obeyed the ae, implicitly" Mr.. Boomer
continued. "the non-enforcement Of the
Eighteenth Amendment in other places
has led people away from the Claridec
restaurant to those places where liquor
wa. procurable. and has. therefore.
made the Claridgc improbable as a
hotel property
The Heart Of New York Business
Mem association in its statement
said ,,...
THE rejoindcr OF the prohibition OF.
6c,als 20 the protest Of the Hotel
Mer's Association that liquor was
hc;nc sold openly in restaurants was
a raid on premises OF hotel men who
signed the petition. The wnole thlng
would be laughnble II II were not so
tragic The majority Of hotel men are
convinced by this time that an error
vas made when the appeal 20 President
Harding and his Cabinet was made.
Tn. buGoopery OF the prohibition
agents had an added touch OF
The ridiculous and has shown the an
salute hopelessness OF ever making the
yolstend law respected in this city.
"How far this hyprocisy is being car
ried ia illustrated By the United states
shipping Board in permitting the sale
~ wines and liquors on It's passenger
arriving vessels. and moi only permit
ting such sale, but advertising exten-
sivelv throughout Europe that choice
wines and liauors may be obtained on
American liners.
Ships. Why Not Hotels
Chairman Lasker OF the Shipping
Rosrd defended the sale OF such wines
and liquors on the grounds Of CONNER
cial cxpediency and national security.
He emphatically declared that an Amer
ican merchant marine, essential Tor our
prosperity in times OF peace and our
protection in time OF war. could not
hope TO be built up if liquors were for
hidden on American ships. In other
words. Mr.. Lasker admits that Ameri-
can ships cannot prohtably compete
with foreign ships in the tourist trade
II they arc not permitted to sell wines
and liquors.
"Why not carry this idea to its logi-
cal conclusion-if our ships cannot
compete for tourists without stimulat-
ing beverages neither can our hotels or
restaurants. which are also essential
for our national we'll being and our
prosperity. What is sauce for the
goose should be sauce for the gander.
and Mr.. Lasker has put powerful
weapon in the hands Of hotel men
which they should not be slow TO use.
The deeper we get in this prohibit
tion mess the more we realize how i'm
possible Of enforcement II is going to
he "