Arizona republican., 1922-06-16
Our National Wine List

tiers, "Wins List" and at the bottom S.. S. George
Washington" Those who have become familiar with
the exactions of bootleggers and blind pigs must be
amazed at the moderation OF the Shipping Board as
q bootlegger We why the board has
been pling up deficits and asking for relief But 1t
must be annoying to prohibtionists to be called
upon to put up money to maintain our liquor traffic
on the high seas
Old .pre-war time prices restored. The list
is little longer, but the prices are almost the same
as those that used prevail Pullman "club cars
The list contains ten varieties of champagne en-
bracing all the bestknown brands; quarts $5 pints,
$3.50 .Pommery, greno,' however, is only $3.50
quart
There are twenty six varieties of Bordeaux Bur-
sundies and Rhine wines. ranging from 50 to $3.50
quart Guinness and Bass ales old-time Pullman
club rates. 80 cents a pint
But it is in the Spirits and Liquors" section of
the list that we get patriotic thrill that almost
induces the most ardent prohibitionists OF to
dorse the shipping board While we get drink
of .BIack and white" Sandy Macdonald" Johnnie
Walker" "Haig & Hag,' canadian Club"
"amesons Irish" for the negligible price of 20 cents
the shipping board patriotically charges 80 cents
drink for American Rye Old Charter" or for "Old
American Rye Moonshne" Thus, even in death, the
American distling industry is exalted above foreign
competitors
American Moonshine Is on par with the Bronx
cocktail and tops the Manhattan nickel.
We learn from the dispatches Of yesterday that
the news of the liquor traffic the Americans liners.
that is, the shipping board liners did not come to
Congress as a shock. The shipping board was pro-
ceeding under an Interpretation by the attorney
erals office that prohibition is concerned.
the deck OF an American vessel is not American soil;
that, though the constitution follows the flag the
Eighteenth Amendment to the constitution, which is
considered excess baggage, is left behind at the
three mile limit.
month ago. before any news regarding the
bootlegging operations of the shipping board had
been printed, the Chicago Tribune published an ed-
toriaI in which it said
At first the shipping board thought that prohibi-
ton must follow the flag but realized that in such
travel would not, and the new American marine
enterprise would be failure. Therefore, the board
decided make the success Of the marine the first
considerable and liquor has been served on Ameri-
ships just it is served the ships Of other
flags Sincere prohibitionists believe that the
facts of the should be otherwise, but their belief
will not make American passenger ships operate
The nation never before needed merchant marine as
it needs one now
Under the limitations OF armament agreement,
the preservation of the ratio depends in part upon
auxiliary vessels which be convertible into swift
cruisers plane carriers and only the
ger boats are convertible. Therefore in the opin
ion OF the shipping board, they must be maintained,
perhaps at loss, the shipping board says they
will be If they dry. Are we then, going to take
this loss going to let prohibition by the
board? 1t is financial question. and we believe
Adolphus Busch's observation is justified:
venture to remind the administration that every
bootlegger every moonshiner. every Illicit manufac-
and distributor of beverages containing as much
onehaf of per cent alcohol, violates the con-
stitution Volstead Ace for precisely the same
reason-financal gain.
While resorting to booteggng to preserve
our naval ratio we should bear in mind that there
Is something just now confronting the American
people that concerns them much than the pres
ervation Of passenger boats that may be converted
into swift cruisers that is the great burden OF tax
alton which would be measurably relieved if Secre-
tary Mellon should decide that that exigency could
be met by a violation of the Eighteenth Amendment
and the restoration of the tax liquor: and that
further relief would be afforded by cessation of
expenditures for prohibition enforcement Reduced
to the ,plaines terms the shipping boards idea is
this Prohibition interfering with the operation of
government agency. 1t must, therefore, be ignored
and the law violated.
The Developments of the last few days will greatly
add to the difficulties of enforcement. Bootleggers
will be encouraged by knowing that the United States
is the biggest bootegger of all. Juries which with
reluctance and considerable pressure have been
brought to bring in vercts against volaors of the
prohibition law, will be the reluctant to punish
violators when the justfes itself in its
violation of the law
Somebody has estimated that John d. Rockefeller
has 81 for every man. woman and child in the