Evening star., 1922-06-14

laws of the United States are violated
openly steamsfps owned me- yitea ~
States flag. A copy of the wine list.
enumerating intoxicating liquors of
every character. is inclosed for your
Because it is automatic that Amer
lean ships, wherever they float, are
American territory and under the
jurisdiction of the laws of the United
States. the government's liquor policy
with respect to the ships of the
United States Shipping Board consti-
tutes violation of the Constitution
and the Volstead act in at least
three important respects:
AS American sovereignty follows
the flag, it is violation of the Con-
stitution and the enforcement act Tor
liquor or permit it's sale on board any
ship of the United States anywhere in
the world.
ut is a violation of the Constitution
and the law for the government snlps
to transport Intoxicating liquor with
in the three-mile coast line.
TT is violation of the law for a
government ship to possess intoxicat-
Ing liquor within the three-mile coast
I'VE are reliably informed that the
advertisements of the United states
papers ~ announce choice wines and
liquors. on ships of the United States.
The government, however. appears 10
have thought it unnecessary or mad
visable to take the American public
into it's confidence by announcing
that it had found it necessary, for
business reasons and for the defense
of the country to exempt one OF Its
own great business enterprises from
the operation of the Constitution and
the enforcement act.
Hints L. $. Is Hypocrite.
1--WE are also reliably informed that
during all the time that the govern
ment has been violating the prohibi-
ton laws it has had public speakers
touring the country for the especial
purpose of preaching respect for the
prohibition laws to the American peo-
pie.
We are inclosing what appears to
be a government-inspired newspaper
editorial making plea for the con-
aWs iaRusa on V'Ss.ah Soard u1ted nj t states ships
We had authoritative information
the day before this editorial was pub
liShed that IT was to appear the fol-
lowing morning.
The governments disregard of the
prohibition law and its policy of in
spring editorial support of the ex-
emptpion OF one of its business enter
prses from the operation of the law
on the one hand, and its. feeble at
tempt to enforce it. and the employ
ment of skilled orators to counsel re-
spect for the law. on the other hand.
appear to be most inconsistent.
TT seems to US that the govern
ment'S own policy of eXempting itself
from the law, for financial reasons.
or even for defensive reasons. does
and for all other laws-than anything
the government possibly could do
The American people are continually
being told by department officers. and
Gp n a n m . N n j.
cations which appear to control the
acts of the enforcement department.
that all who fail to obey the prohi-
favor their reasonable and sane
amendment-are disloyal to the Con-
stitution.
respect. that If the government wishes
the American people to respect the
eighteenth amendment and the en-
forcement act. it should prove it's sim
dience to the amendment and the en-
forcement act itself. or change the
law. ADOLPHUS BUSCH I'LL"
Letter From Father.
The letter inclosed. written by
August Busch May Is, on reaching
France on the s. s. George Washing
ton, follows:
I'VE are now approaching the coast
of France and have nearly completed
the first part of our journey.
LAS this vessel is operated by the
United States Shipping Board. 1 was
amazed to learn that the Shipping
Board vessels are the 'wettest on the
ocean Never before have l crossed
the Atlantic and found so much
liquor sold as on this ship. This
statement can be verified by many of
my fellow passengers.
Il learn that passage on these
ships has been sold with a positive
money-back guaranty that the bars
for the sale of intoxicating liquors
will be thrown wide open as soon as
they pass outside of the three-mile
coast line.
This makes the United States in
comparably the biggest bootlegger in
the world.
There are two reasons which I
! believe should impel US to bring this
information to the, attention of the
President-the chief executive is
charged with the duty of defending
the Constitution and taking care that
the laws are faithfully executed and
should be informed of this fact. AS
manufacturers of legal products, we
have been forced for more than two
years to meet unfair and unlawful
competition in practically every town
ana city IN the United StateS. fOT
the United States to set aside it's
Constitution and laws in the opera
tion of it's own business enterprises
increases our difficulties many fold
because it encourages violators of
the law to renewed and greater ac-
tivity.
II understand that the Shipping
Board 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
volstead act. And that, either by
direct or indirect means, the Ship
ping Board Is permitted to do in the
dark that which it is illegal to do
in order that it may make money.
"I venture to remind the adminis-
tration that every bootlegger.. every
er and distributor OF beverages con-
tanning as much as one-half OF 1 per
cent of alcohol violates the Consti-
tuition and the volstead act for pre-
cisely the same reason-fnancial
gain.
"will juries be inclined to punish
individuals charged with violation of
the prohibition laws when they
know the government Is itself the
greatest. most fragrant and most in
excusable violator Of the laws which
it invokes against it's citizens?
Law-Abiding Penali.ed.
1--WE presented to the President in
December. 1921, facts which prove
that the governmet has not been
fairly and impartially enforcing the
prohibition laws as between its own
citizens, and that its methods were
penalizing those who were obeying
the laws and enriching those who.