Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-06-15

OF liquor on the shipping DOarQ snlpS
would help to solve the boards finan-
President Harding replied to him:
Mr.. Lasker, you are chairman of
the shipping board; you know what to
do"
A letter charging the United States
is "incomparably the biggest bootleg
ger in the world, written by August
A. Busch, president of Anheuser-
Busch, Inc, while enroute to Europe
aboard the steamship George Wash
ington, and which has been forwarded
to President Harding, was made pub
lie. together with an accompanying
letter by .Adolphus Busch, III, his son.
A third letter by Anheuser-B Busch Inc,
addressed TO members of congress, re-
quests an investigation into the en-
forcement department of government
in relation to the prohibition act.
The letter of August A. Busch, ad-
dressed to his associates. says in part:
we are now approaching the coast
of France. AS this vessel is operated
by the United States shipping board
] was amazed to learn that the ship
ping board vessels are the "wettest"
on the ocean.
Says Guarantee Open Bars
Il learn that passage on these ships
has been sold with a positive money
back guarantee that the bars for the
sale Of intoxicating liquors will be
thrown wide open as soon as they
pass the three mile coast line.
This makes the United States in
comparably the biggest bootlegger in
the world.
1.-TWO reasons / believe should i'm
pei US to bring this information to
Tho attanfinp rf tho procJHpnt r that
the chief executive is charged with
the duty of defending the constitu-
ton and taking care that the laws are
faithfully executed, and should be in
formed of this fact.
LAS manufacturers of legal products
we have been forced for more then
two years to meet unfair and unlaw-
full competition in practically every
town and city in the United States.
For the United States to set aside its
constitution and avs in the operation
of its own business enterprises, in
creases our difficulties many fold, be
cause it encourages violators Of the
law to renewed and greater activity.
Il understand that the shipping
board has brought to the notice of high
officials of the government the fact
that it could not compete on the high
seas with the ships of other nations
and obey the constitution and the Vol |
stead act. and either by direct or in
direct means the shipping board is
permitted to do in the dark that which
it is illegal to do in order that it may
make money.
I'VE should submit to the president
that the governments federation of the
violation of the law by the shipping
board is proof that prohibition laws as
now written are either impractical and
uncomfortable. or are being disre-
garded deliberately.
Index to Sentiment
THE fact that citizens of the
United States would not buy passage !!
on ships of the United States so long
as the Nolstead act was operative
upcn these ships gives us a real SEN
timent Of a considerable part of the
American people with respect to pro-
hibition and we believe that a great
majority desire a modification of the
Volstead act"
The letter from Busch, |
Inc, to members of congress inviting
their attention to the wine lists of the
shipping board steamers. requests a
congressional inquiry into the condi-
tons regarding the enforcement OF the
prohibition act. The letter says in
part:
I'VE have repeatedly brought to the
of the congress of the United
and the administrative officials
the fact that the prohibition law is so
enforced as to invite its viola
ton, and that under these conditions
the manufacturers of lawful products
are being driven out of business.
When the government of the United
States permits one of its departments
to violate the prohibition law on the
most extensive scale in the world il
helps create a condition which agra
the difficulties Of those manu-
facturers who have spent millions of
to convert their properties for
he production of lawful products and
who as a matter of good citizenship
obeyed the law"
The letter further says that the gov
,rnn ent in violating its own law sets
IN example of %hyprocisy, unparalleled
u the history Of the republic.
SEAS FREE, lASKER SAYS.