The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-06-16
MAY CUT rum
FROM ALL SHIPS
Congress Could Prohibit
Them Landing With
Liquor Aboard
NICE QUESTION
FOR DECISION
Conceded That American Merchant Ma
rine Cannot Compete With Foreign
Vessels if Bars Are Closed - Com
piicatiOns in Atlantic and Pacific.

rine Cannot Compete With Foreign
Vessels if Bars Are Closed - Com
piications in Atlantic and Pacific.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Despatch to The Reformer.)
Copyright 1922.
WASHINGTON, June 1G-Congress
may prohibit all ships, whether they fly
tie flag of foreign countries or the
United States, from entering any port
of this country if liquor is carried
aboard, sealed or otherwise
This is tlikely to be the upshot of the
quarrel which has arisen over the prac-
tiee of the United States shipping board
in permitting the sale of intoxicants
outside the three-mile limit in order to
meet the competition of foreign ships
engaged in the passenger carrying trade,
The shipping board insists that there
is no law or constitutional provision
which today prevents an American ship
from selling liquor after the three-mile
limit has been passed. Instead of argu-
ing the legality or illegality of the prac-
tice which alone could be determined fl
nally by a supreme court decision, MEM
berS of congress have been Introducing
bills to provide that the proposed ship
subsidy shall not apply to the ships sell
ing liquor at sea. Such a proposal, it
is declared by shipping board officials
would be suicidal as the American mer-
chant marine and that no amount of
subsidy would enable American ships to
compete under these circumstances
against foreign vessels. In order to
carry on profitable trade and to get a
well-balanced merchant marine useful in
war as well as peace, large ships, known
in marine paflance as capital ships
are necessary as well as freight carriers.
These capital ships require considerable
passenger traffic annually to keep them
going If foreign ships can sell liquor
outside the three-mile limit they will
admittedly get most of the passenger
trade, according to official estimates
based on actual experience.
TO discriminate against American
ships while permitting foreign vessels
touching American ports, to open their
bars at sea is regarded in congress and
elsewhere as inequitable and the only
way to prevent it would be to forbid
foreign ships to touch American terri
tory if they have liquor aboard.
This might tend to help American YES
sells to some extent but already it is
pointed out that the advantage would
work in the direction of British vessels
for they would close their bars after
touching at Halifax, transport all their
| liquor to shore and continue to New
York without intoxicants aboard so as
to comply with the suggested port regu-
| latiOns, But in order TO make a fast
trip across many vessels under foreign
flags would hesitate TO make q stop at
Canadian ports because of the time that
would be lost in the roundabout voyage.
In the transatlantic trade, therefore,
shipping officials think such a proposal
would enable American vessels to COM
pete on more or less equal terms with
| foreign ships. In the Pacific, however,
the fear is that Americas merchant
marine would suffer Vancouver. Brit
ish Columbia, is not far from Seattle,
for instance. and the American tourist
would be tempted to take his boat at
Vancouver instead of a United States
port The japanese passenger vessels
would continue, of course. to carry
liquor aboard and the American ships
might lose much of their passenger trade.
When the matter comes up in con-
gress. therefore, Pacific coast members
who are at present active in trying to
get a ship subsidy bill through will find
themselves confronted by a practical sit
uation which has little to do with the
merits of prohibition Senator Jones of
Washington, one of the prohibition
leaders in congress- will have to decide q
tickIish point.
The truth is that many of the spokes-
men for the prohibition movement con-
cede that the shipping board has the law
on its side in the present controversy
and that an American ship outside the
three-mile limit is not subject to the
enforcement of the prohibition laws or
any other statutes of the United States
except those which apply to the regis
try of ships. treatment of crews and
other matters specifically covered by that
statute.
This is a moot point and there have
been a string of decisions on it in the
courts for the last century. The ship
ping board points out that if an Amer
lean ship is American territory it would |
be immune from seizure during war |
when the United States is neutral and |
that nobody could be taken off an Amer |
lean ship at sea. As a matter of fact !
the United States in the famous contro- |
yersy with Great Britain during the /
Civil war asserted the right to search |
American shins and take snsnects from |