Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-14
Lasker UphOlds
u. s. Ships Run,
Continued from Page One

allowed the privilege OF entering and
departing from American ports serving
liquor that same privilege must be al
lowed our merchant ships.
"If the sale of liquor be prohibited
on all boats entering or departing from
American ports there Is no voice in the
Shipping Roard that would be raised
in protest.
Mr.. Busch attached to his letter to
the President the cory of an editorial
printed in the Chicago Tribune of May
6, 1922. following a visit to the edi-
torial Offices by an official of the United
States Shipping Board"
Declaring there was an insinuation
that the editorial had been "inspired by
that VISIT Mr.. Lasker said:
81 was the official who visited tho
Tribune on May s. and wish to record
my emphatic denial that l in any way
knew before or at the time of my visit
the views of the editors of the Tribune
on this subject. | did not discuss the
of the Tribune at that visit or at any
other time before or since The fact is
that l had no more advance knowledge
than any other reader of the Tribune
that it was going to publish such an
editorial.
'iour mean insinuation regarding
uncorruptblc officials and editors re-
fleets on you alone
"Your letter to the President and the
letter from your father which you at
tached thereto have on their face been
written entirely with view to their
effect on the public when published. and
in an attempt to insure their Dublica .
tion | am informed that you have sent
printed copies of your letters to the
press Of America.
"Whcrcforr. my reply to You Is not
merely intended for you. but is also
written with view to public rcjoinder.
II believe you to be thoroughly self :
lSh and that YOU are acting in the hope
of creating a public revolt against pro :
hibition 50 that you may again revive
the sale of your liquors, utterly regard .
less of how YOU might hurt the Ameri-
can merchant marine in your effort to
create u situation to benefit your brew
cry.
1T is, of course, notorious that the
Adolphus Busch. who founded your
brewery. was possibly the Kaiser 5
closest friend in America. and that your
family for many years has maintained
castle in Germany; your action in any
event will not disDlease your German
friends. whose greatest hope of Il re
stored German merchant marine Is in n
I hurt to Americas new born merchant
marine.
Il refer to these extraneous facts
not In resentment. but that It may be
made clear that in my opinion you dc
not come before the bar of public opin-
ion with clean hands"
Gives Text of Opinion
Mr.. Lasker made public at the sam,
time the text OF an opinion JUS,
rendered to him ny Elmer Schlesingcr
general counsel of the Shipping Board
upholding anew the legality of thu
serving Of liquor on American ships a
sea. The opinion was based largely or
the limitation in the Eighteenth Amend,
mcnt Of its operation to "the Unitct
states and all territory subject to tn,
! jurisdiction thereof" and on recon
rulings Of the Supreme Court in liuuo,
cases which. Mr.. Schlesinger declared
! held the prohibition laws to be cfIcc.
: tive throughout the entire territorial
limits Of the United States"
The opinion cited numerous cases [,
show that American ships outside th
three mile limit could not be considerc
within the jurisdiction Of the Unite,
States Government.
The Shipping Boards policy was tn
subject Of IN attack in the House yes
tcrdaN by Representative Gallivan
Democrat. Massachusetts, who read cy
cerptS from what he described as
typical wine list of an American ypssc
nnd dcplorcd the discrimination whir
he said was permitted to exist bctwccI
Americans afNt and those who wer
fcrccd to remain on shore.
An effort to discrcdit prohibition, ;
was the Interpretation placed on tn
Busch Letters by Wayne Il. Wheeler
general counsel for the Anti Salool
League.
Wheeler Approves
II hol ID no brief for the Shippin,
l,oard in this controversy" Mr.
Wheeler said today. ut is able to tax
care OF itself. Our attitude witt
reference to the sale of liquor on ship
within the jurisdiction Of the Unite,
Stntes has been clear cut and consistcn
ever since the law went into effect. "
contcndcd before the Justice Depart
mcnt that 1t was illegal to transport o
possess liquor on any ship within tn
Jurisdiction Of the United States. Tn
department. ana the Supreme Cour
have sustained that construction of tn
law.
II cannot too strongly condemn thi
attack by the brewers upon the Gov
crnment and its officers, bu. rcioic
that the decision Of the Supreme Cour
has now removed all doubt upon th
construction of the law so that the dis
| elimination against American shir
| which has been sci2cd upon by III
| liquor interests rs an argument again,
| prohibition, need no longer exist"
| St InulS NN Jnn, - ID A