The Washington times., 1922-10-20
CHANGE IN DRY
LAW FOR,SY|PS
I. . .MAY Be ASKED
Treasury Officials Believe Con.
grsss Should Act to Prevent
Foreign Reprisals.
BY Unixersal service.

Unless the courts put a liberal
construction on the Daughetty
liquor opinion In it's relation to
foreign shipping, the Administration
VIII be, forced to ask Congress to
amend the prohibition enforcement
statutes. II was stated authoriatively
oy high Treasury officials today.
without such modification O
strict enforcement of the Daugherty
ruling and q close tracking Of the
Anchcr Line and Walker decisions
OF the Supreme Court win bring
this government into complications
with foreign governmental, 1t was
pointed out.
II this Government adheres to q
strict enforcement policy with the
Avs remaining rs at present. these
Foreign governments. France and
italy In particular. may be ex-
pected to adopt reprisal methods
that VIII prove a source OF un-
ceasins annoyance to the American
oovsrnment and to American ship
ping.
Counters Foreign Laws.
This situation develops from the
mct that the American dry laws
are In direct conflict with the mari
time laws OF France, Italy and
ether countries, which compel ships
sailing under those flags to carry
hQuors in their ships stores, as q
daily ration for the ships crews.
Strict enforcement Of the Daugh-
erty ruling would compel these
ships 70 dump their liquors outside
the three-inile limit or they would
be barred from entry into Ameri-
can ports. Even with the dumping
outside. the ships could not comply
with the laws Of their own coun.
tries. AZ they would have no stocks
aboard for the daily ration on the
return "trip or to the next wet
port.
Count de Chambon. French attache
theSe and other phases Of the dry
ship question Informally with Sec.
retary Of the Treasury Mellon. pre-.
hminary to making a full report
TO his government.
The only loop hole now appearing
open to get around this foreign
complication Is to classify these
crew liquor stocks as medicinal
liquors and permit the ships to
enter port with the stores under
customs seal. This. however. II Is
pointed out. would be an evasion
Of the letter Of the prohibition
laws IS construed by Attorney Gen.
eral Dausherty and the Supreme
Court.
III order that this Government
may not be forced to countsnsnce
an evasion Of this character or
put itself in jeopardy with any
foreign government. the Adminis-
tfation IN Of the opinion there q
only one way to approach the
problem and that L. TO openly
amend the dry statutes and remove
the cause.
New Order Expected.
The ..Administration's course
hinges on the decision Of Judge
isnd nsnSI,t n. the ,tsRs.,en ;n.s, ;gs !, now
uected to ,hhand down" his ruling
next Monday, Pending that deci-
sion the Treasury will not complete
the iegulationss now in proc SIS for
the enforcement Of the Daughcrty
ruling. II has been agreed that all
LIQUORS that may be seised will be
taken in charge by customs otfi-
GERS. This IL In view of court de-
cisions that restrict any but Gus,
toms officers from molestinS ship
cargoes.
In view Of the inability to get
the regulations completed and
promulgated before Saturday, the
date fixed by the latest order for
the enforcement Of the Daugherty
ruling to begin, o new order is
expected tomorrow extending the
time for another week