Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-10-07
TRAFFIC
IS DEALT HARD
BLOW BY RULING
All Vessels Are Prohibited
From Having Intoxicants
Aboard in American Ter.
ritoriaI Waters.

washington, Oct, 6 (by the AS
sociated Press) s)~-All vessels, Amer
lean and foreign-owned, are pro-
hibited from having liquor on
board in American territorial
waters under an Interpretation of
the prohibition amendment and
the enforcement act handed down
today by the department of justice.
Moreover, the transportation or
sale of intoXicants on American
craft, wherever operated, was held
to be inhibited.
American territorial waters were
construed to include those not only
within the three-mile limit OF con-
tinentaI United States. but also
those within the same limit of the
Philippines, the Hawaiian islands,
Porto Rico. the Virgin islands and
Alaska. The law would not apply
in the Panama canal zone, as that
zone is specifically exempted by
the statute itself,
So far as American ships are
concerned, the sale or transporta-
ton of liquor will cease at once,
or as soon as those vessels reach
their home ports In the case of
foreign ships the decision will be-
come operative as soon as the nee
essary regulations can be prepared
and promulgated by the treasury
department.
Court Action E'oresecn.
Court action looking to q final
determination of the application
of American dry laws to foreign
ships entering American ports was
foreseen by both Attorney General
Daugherty and Chairman Lasker of
the shipping board. Mr.. Daugherty
said he already had been advised
that a case was about 10 be filed
which would bring the issue to the
supreme court.
Chairman Lasker was OF the
opinion that the first move of for
eign lines would be to seek an in
junction restraining the govern !
ment from enforcing the law. He |
said it was reasonable to suppose
that the courts would grant such |
an Injunction with result that
foreign ships would continue to ar
rive with liquor on board until
there was a final decision by the
highest court. The attorney gem
eral said his department would CO.
operate in every effort to expedite I
a ruling by the supreme court.
Publication of the opinion of the
of justice followed a
White House conference, to which |
President Harding summoned Mr.. |
Daugherty, Secretaries Hughes and |
Mellon and Chairman Lasker. Vari- |
GUS phases of the situation were
including the possible |
results Of enforce enlent upoa thei
relations of the Unit !
ed States.
Must Enforce the Law.
High administration officials ex-t
planned that there was no course |
for the executive branch of the
except to enforce the !
law as interpreted by the legal de- /
partment. The Interpretation was
based upon recent decisions of the |
supreme court in case involving
the authority of the United States
to interfere with the transfer of a |
liquor cargo from one foreign ship
to another in an American port.
In a divided opinion the court |
the authority of prohibi-
tion agents to prevent such a trans
fer, and in the view OF the attorney
general, went so far as to hold that
the eighteenth amendment and the
Volstead act repealed prior ex-
listing treaty with Great Britain. /
Chairman Lasker predicted that |
enforcement of the law would op-
crate to an immediate disadvantage
OF the American merchant marine |
and would make more necessary
enactment of the ship subsidy bill.
If the American flag was to stayl
on the high seas.