Evening star., 1923-05-01
MORE LEGISLATION
PLANNED TO SOLVE
SHIP LIQUOR SNARL
Officials Foresee Foreiqn
Complications if Ban of
Court Is Enforced.
RULING DOES NOT BIND
FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS
World Court Suggested as Last Re
sort-Mellon Delays Action
on Interpretation.

| frankly anticipate will result from
that part of the Supreme Court deci-
| sion yesterday prohibiting liquor on
foreign ships within the American
three-mile limit. the administration
is considering the possibility of new
legislation to amend the Volstead act
This was learned today from
! member OF President Hardiness cabi-
| net, who declared the plan had been
to go before Congress for relief i'm
medfately II such decision had been
! handed down while Congress was in
session
Details Still In Doubt.
While the details of such lesisla-
ton were left in doubt, 1t was under
stood that = ngress could SO amend
the prohibition law as to enable for
eisn vessels to bring their liquor
within the three-mile limit under
seal, thus continuing the practice
which was banned yesterday by the
| Supreme Court.
senator Sterling, South Dakota. re
publican, said today, however, he did
| not believe Congress would amend
the prohibition act to permit foreign
Vessels S,eMa @ to enter American ports with
doOdIu. senator STERLING was
chairman OF the Senate judiciary sub
| committee which handled the Vol
stead prohibition act and also the
antt-beer act.
Thinks Bill VIII Fail.
II expect that legislation will be
| as to permit foreign vessels to come
within the three-mile limit with
liquor stocks on board" said Senator
But I do not believe that such
legislation can get through Congress
To my mind, the compensating part of
the decision of the Supreme Court
was that under the law foreign yes
| sells cannot come within the three
mile limit with liquor on board
Il believe, too, that Congress will
pass legislation amending the pro
hioftion act to prohibit the sale of
vessels. whether privately or govern
ment owned, outside the three-mile
limit. That a bill for this purpose
will be introduced 1 am confident, and
l am equally sure that after IL has
been introduced 1t will be passed"
That part of the decision which alb
solutely bans liquor. either sealed or
| unsealed, inside the three limit
is believed by officials who are close
students of the situation to be
fraught with the most delicate inter
national possibilities. 1t will conflict di-
countries which ordain that liquor
must be carried for the use of the
crews, and in some cases for imm-
| grants on board.
Situation Must he Met.
! The situation must be met early.
! however, it was explained, and the
administration is placed with the ne
cessity of waiting, meantime. until
4
| draw up regulations enforcing the
| law as interpreted by the highest
court.
How to draw up the regulations
| banning liquor on foreign ships Is the
| knotty problem which has proved a
puzzle to Treasury officials upon
whom the burden devolves. How to
| enforce such ban on foreign ships Is
an even more delicate problem. The
matter of enforcing prohibition on
| American ships was really made easi-
! er by the court decision. as it virtually
limited the enforcement for the pres
| ent to the three-mile limit, although
intimating Congress had the power TO
extend prohibition on the high seas
If it desired.
Temporary Enforcement.
There has been a temporary en-
! forcement of the Daugherty-Judge
Hand ban on liquor aboard foreign
SHIPS "llulH the lnTee-nlle llI1lt lot
| about six months. according TO Palmer
Garfield. federal prohibition director
| at New York. but it was temporary.
! awaiting the decision of the Supreme
Court, and. Furthermore. permitted
| ships crews liquor. The foreign
ships have been able to bring in liquor
| as ships stores for the crews" said
| Mr.. Garfield. but now. as 1 under
stand it. they will not be able to do
| that"
| The question at the present time,
according to officials of the Treasury,
! is How can the matter be taken care
Of with satisfaction TO the American
| law, as interpreted by the Supreme
| Court yesterday and without offense
to foreign powers? Some arrangement
must be reached soon.
Omcials Studying Decision.
Officials of the Treasury were busy
today going over the court decision.
| with a view to promulgatinS regula
tions, while 1t was thought the mat
ter was probably discussed informally
at least by the cabinet. at the White
House, with which Attorney General
Daugherty sat for the first time since
he went south for his health.
Whatever regulations are promul-
gated shortly. 1t was intimated by
Secretary Mellon that foreign ships
now on the high seas will be given
| reasonable period of time to touch AT
American shores with liquor, without
violation of the newly interpreted
law.
No Peril to Trade.
Dangers were seen by certain per-
sons that the ban on foreign ships
liquor would endanger foreign trade.
but this view was secuted by Treas
ury officials, who held that foreign
lines would seek the business, where
1t was. regardless of embarrassing
restrictions.
The suggestion has been put for
ward not only in Washington. but
among shippers in New York, as well
that some provision Of side-tracking
liquor outside of the three limit
| may be resorted to. Nearby Canadian.
Bermuda or Mexican ports or even
floating warehouses Just off the i'm
aginary three-mile boundary have
been yariously suggested as side
tracks for both incoming and outgo-
ing vessels.
Required to Garry Wine.
While the President and his ad-
visers were considering the case OF
American ships under the courts de-
CONTINUED on Page 2, Column -