The Mankato free press., 1922-06-16

4
new spapers announced choice wines
AID liquors on ships of the United
| States. i..
I'VE are also reliably informed
| that during all the time that the
government has been violating the
prohibition laws it has had public
| figures touring the country for the
especial purpose of preaching re-
spect for the prohibition laws to
the American people.
I'VE are enclosing what appears
to be government inspired news
paper editorial making plea for
hioition laws on board United
information the day before this edi-
torial was published that 1t was to
appear the following day.
Urges Congressional Inquiry
The letter of the Anheuser Busch,
Inc, to members of congress re-
quests a congressional inquiry into
the condition regarding the enforce
ment of the prohibition act. The
letter says in part:
I'VE have repeatedly brought to
the notice of the congress of the
United States and the administrative
officials the fact that the prohibi-
ton act is so loosely enforced as to
invite its violation, 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 de-
partments to violate the prohibition
law on the most extensive scale in
the world 1t helps create a condi-
tion which aggravates the Difficult
ties of these manufacturers who have
spent millions of dollars to convert
their properties for the production
of lawful products and who as a
matter Of good citizenship have
obeyed the law"
The letter further says that the
government in violating its own law
paraIleled in the history of the re-
public"
The fact that citizens of the Uni
ted States would not buy passage
upon ships of the United States so
long as the Volstead act was opera
i've upon these ships gives us a real
sentiment of considerable part of
the American people with respect TO
prohibition, and we believe that a
great majority desire a modification
of the Volstead act
Lasker Replies To Letters.
Washington, D. c., June 14.-The
shipping board holds that. neither
the Voistead act nor the eighteenth
amendment apply TO American ships
outside the three mile limit" Chair
man Lasker declared today in a
letter to Adolphus Busch, III, vice
president of the Anheuser Busch
Brewery Company of St Louis. Con-
hrming reports that alcoholic drinks
were being served on American
ships at sea, Mr.. Lasker asserted
that the shipping board had approx
ed this custom both from the
standpoint of legal right and from
the standpoint of the life and securi-
ty of our national merchant marine. L"
The shipping board has permitted
and VIII continue to permit the serv-
ing of liquor on its ships" he con-
tinued, so long as foreign flag ships
are allowed to enter and depart
privilege"
Mr.. Laskers letter was in reply to
communication addressed by Mr..
Busch to President Harding with
reference to alcoholic drinks be reg
ulariy served on shipping board yes
seis at sea- The matter had been
referred to him, the shipping board
chairman explained, since "the pres
ident Is unacquainted with the sub
5ect YOU cover"
While it was true, Mr.. Lasker
SAID, that an assistant attorney gen
eral in the prior administration. :"
mad held that the prohibition laws
were effective on American shipping
wherever operated, the present gen
eral counsel of the shipping board
his two assistants and the chairman
hlmself, were convinced that such
an opinion was not soundly based
and had approved the inclusion Of
wine lists as regular equipment of
boats operated under the boards
supervision, for use, however. only
beyond the jurisdicial coast line.
Mr.. Busch attached to his letter to
the president, the copy of an edi
tor1al printed in the Chicago Trib-
une OF May 6, 1922, following a Wis
70 the editorial offices by an off
board"
Replies To Editorial
Declaring there was an insinuation
that the editorial had been "inspired
by that visit" Dir. Lasker said:
II was the official who visited
The Tribune on May 5, and | wish
to record my emphatic denial that /
In any way knew before or at the
time OF my visit the views of the ed
1tors of The Tribune on this subject
did not discuss the subject of pro
hibition with the editors of The Tri-
pune at that visit or at any other
time before or since. The fact is thai
had no more advance knowledge
than any reader of The Tribune that
It was going to publish such an ed
itorial.
Your mean insinuation regarding
uncorruptible officials and editors
reflects on you alone.
| Il believe you to be thoroughly
selfish and that you are acting in
the hope of creating a public revolt
against prohibition so that you NAV
again revive the sale of your LIQUORS
utterly regardless of how you might
hurt the American merchant marine
IN you effort to create a situation
to benefit your brewery.
| Busch Friend OF Kaiser
TT is of course, notorious that the
Adofphus Busch who founded your
brewery was possibly the kaiser's
closest friend in America, and that
your family for many years has
maintained a castle in Germany;
your action in any event will not
displease your German friends
whose greatest hope of a restored
| German merchant marine is in a
hurt to Americas new born mer-
chant marine.
81 refer to these extraneous facts
not In resentment, but that it may
be made clear that in my opinion
you do not come before the bar of
I III 81