The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-06-14
Replies TO
He Is Selfish
Chairman ID cellar e s
Adolphus Busch Was
EX-Kaiser's Closest
Friend in America.

Washington, June IL - The
Shipping Board holds that
neither the Volstead Act nor
the Eighteenth Amendment ap-
ply to American ships outside
the three mile limit Chair
man Lasker declared today in
a letter to Adolphus Busch Ill,
Vice-president Of the Anheuser
Busch Brewery Company of ST.
Louis.
Custom Approved.
Confirming reports that alcoholic
drinks were being served on Ameri-
can ships at sea, Mr.. Lasker asserted
that the Shipping board had approved
this custom both from the standpoint
of legal right and from the standpoint
of the life and security of our ma
tional merchant marine
The shipping board has permitted
and will 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 from
our shores exercising that privilege"
MIR. Lasker's letter was in reply to
a communication addressed by Mr..
Busch to President Harding with
reference to alcoholic drinks being
regularly served on shipping board
vessels at sea- The matter had been
referred to him, the shipping board
chairman explained; since the presi-
dent is una0quainted with the subject
you cover"
There is a vital bill pending he
fore congress now providing aid Nr
American shipping which if enacted
into law stamps the belief OF -Ameri-
tive body) that we have reached that
point in our national life which es-
taSlished our merchant marine for
our prosperity in times of peace and
our protection in times of war" said
Mr. Lasl0er-
$50 long as Great Britain, Japan,
France, GermA& ana other maritime
nations continue to serve liquors to
American passengers am ashamed to
state that my experience leads me
to believe there is a sufficient number
of Americans without proper pride
in their own hagships who would di-
vert their trade to the foreign flags
to the extent that the competition
would be from a profit Operating
standpoint, very greatly against the
American
IF the sale of liquor be prohibit
ed on all boats entering OF departing
from American ports there is no voice
in the shipping board that would be
raised in protest.
Mr.. Busch attached to his letter to
the president the copy of an editorial
printed in the Chicago Tribune of
May o, ISH1, kohO"AnS q WISH 10 tuo
editorial offices by an official of the
United States Shipping Board
IT was the official who visited the
Tribune on May 9Th, and I wish to
record my emphatic denial that I in
any way knew before or at the time
OF my visit the views of the editors
of the Tribune on this subject 1 did
not discuss the subject of prohibition
with the editors of the Tribune at that
VISIT or at any other time before or
since The fact is that had no more
advance knowledge than any other
reader OF the Tribune that it was go
ing to publish such an editorial.
~ our better to the president and
the letter from your father which you
been written entirely with view to
their effect upon the public when
published, and in an attempt to in |
sure their publication ! am informed |
that you have sent printed copies OF |
Your letter to the press of Amerrc.- |
Il believe you to be thoroughly |
selfish and that you are acting in the I
hope Of creating a public revolt against |
SO that you may again re- |
vive the sale Of your liquors, utterly |
regardless Of how you might hurt |
the American merchant marine in |
your effort to create a situation to |
benefit your brewery
1T Is. of course, notorious that the |
Adolphus Busch. who founded your |
brewery. was possibly the Kaiser's |
closest friend in America and that /
your family for many years has /
castle In Germany; your |
action IN any event will not dis |
greatest hope OF a restored German |
merchant marine Is in hurt to /
Americas new born merchant |
marine.