The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1922-10-07
MAKE OCEAN DRY
AS SAHARA SAND
SAYS UNCLE SAM
Sale Of Liquor on American Ships
and in Three.miIe Limit ls
stopped by peeislo, Of
pauoherty.
LASKER FEARS FATE
OF MERCHANT MARINE
Orders 1roadoasted 10 Dump Booze
Overheard on U. s. Boats-Test
Case on Attorney Generals
Ruling to Be Sought.
by LAWRENCE MARTIN.
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent

tIuifeu IfeHS Stdll correspondence
Washington. Oct. THE United
States government today set Out to
make the ocean dry-dry as the
Sahara. so far as all ships flying
the American flag are concerned.
and equally dry for three miles off
shore for foreign ships.
While Chairman Lasker OF the
shipping board expressed gloomy
forebodlngs about the wrecklng OF
the American merchant marine. as
result of the order issued to him
yesterday by President Harding to
stop selling intoxicants aboard ship
ping board vessels. leaders in the
dry movement jubilated over the
ruling.
Mr.. Harding's order was made
late In the day. following approval
by council of cabinet members
and the president. of a ruling drawn
up by Attorney General Daugherty,
which held:
That under the eighteenth amend
ment and the volstead law IL was
illegal for any American vessel to
carry liquor anywhere for any pur-
pose.
That foreign ships entering Amer
ican water within three miles OF
shore, also come under Americas
prohibitory laws. and therefore must
not carry liquor even as ship
stores.
Immediately orders were broad
casted to all shipping board vessels
to stop selling liquor, and to dump
the stuff overheard or get rid OF 1t
somehow. Those ships now on the
high seas must be dry when they
get to port or as soon thereafter
as It is possible to get rid of their
stocks of intoxicants. Similar or
ders will be issued to private ship
ping interests by Secretary of the
Treasury Mellon.
International complications threat
ened as one immediate result OF
the ruling. Foreign governments
were expected by government Of
fcials to protest vigorously against
the drastic order against carrying
liquor within the insulated zone. .
Some of these frankly said they
believed that part of the Daugherty
ruling was not intended to be en-
forced. and that no attempt would
be made to enforce it literally. 1t
was issued simply to make this gov
ernment's course impartial and con-
sistent by demanding universal en-
forcement against all alike of Amer
ican law.
It was intimated in official quar-
ters that regulations to be issued
by Secretary Mellon regarding for
eign ships would provide that an
affidavit by the master of any for
eign vessel carrying liquor that it
was not being brought to the United
States for sale, and that none of 1t
would be permitted to fall into
American hands, would open the
barrier.
An immediate test of the Daugh-
erty rule will be sought in the
courts, probably by both American
and foreign shipping interests.
Daugherty who said he expected
litigation announced his readiness
to help expedite a final decision.
He said he relied on previous de-
cisions of the United States supreme
court in making his ruling. II that
court should maintain its position
Daugherty's ruling would stand at
least as to American ships. The
court has held, in effect, that the
constitution follows the flag moi
only on land but on the seas, ano
that the wording Of the prohibition
amendment makes it clear thai
wherever the United States govern
ment has jurisdiction there the pro
hibitory law applies.
There were rumors today tha
Chairman Lasker Of the shippins
board would resign his post in pro
test against the ruling. Laskel
caused shipping board vessels to be
gin the sale of liquor as means
Of competing in the passenger trad'
against bar equipped foreign liners
"This is severe blow to tn
American merchant Marine" Laske
said when he heard of the decision
reversing hi spolicy. I'VE are pu
at a tremendous disadvantage be