Evening star., 1923-06-15
HUGHES RUM PLAN
HITS FOREIGN SNAG
Nations Slow to Respond to
Ship Search Proposal at
TWeIve-MiIe Limit.
by DAVID LAWRENCE.

some or the foreign governments
are not taking kindly to the idea of
giving the American government an
unlimited right of search and seizure
in time of peace with respect to for
eign vessels coming within twelve
miles of the American shore.
The point is made that searches
are not always made with discretion
and that there is a good chance of
breeding ill-feeling when "A search is
made purely on suspicion. The eX
perience Of dry enforcement officers
on land in attempting searches on
suspicion has not always proved that
the searching officers used the neces-
sary tact International complica-
tions might result from the constant
interference by American naval or
customs officials with foreign vessels
twelve miles off shore, for preSum-
ably no vessels would be molested
which intended to land in American
ports. but only those passing along
the coast.
The situation is one of the most
embarrassing that has confronted the
american government. 1t grows out
OF the fact that the Supreme Court
OF the United States has rendered a
decision which Scme officials of the
government think could easily have
been avoided. The eighteenth amend
ment, for instance, makes il clear
that the Importation Of liquors for
beverage purposes is prohibited. High
officials say that liquor brought in by
a foreign ship under seal cannot by
the remotest stretch of the imagina-
ton be construed az an introduction
of liquor into the United States for
beverage purposes.
Executive Is Hnmpercd.
But the Supreme Court has made it's
decision. And most everybody in the
government from President Harding
down believes Congress never intend
ed to have the Volstead act cover the
things which now are inferred or de-
rived from the statute. Thus official
Washington is confronted with the
spectacle of piece of law on the
books which Congress didn't intend
and the Suprmee Court interpreting
the executive branch of the govern
ment in its relations with foreign
countries.
Secretary Hughes plan is to solve
the whole thing by diplomacy, He
wants foreign governments To agree
to the right of search twelve miles
from shore. in return for which he
believes Congress would relax the
regulations permitting foreign ships
10 bring liquor into American ports
under seal. Foreign governments are
very cautious. however. about estab-
fishing precedents in one case that
might later be applied to another set
of circumstances
If the record of the United States
government in cooperating with for
fign gonernments ad. had been hetter err
more favorably disposed to listen TO
American proposals than is now the
case. For example, the United States
contends that rum smuggling means
conspiracy to violate American
laws and that foreign flags are used
on the rum fleet merely as protec-
ton against seizure.
Cites Arms Shipments.
Foreign governments, however, have
tried in vain to get the United States
government to sign a treaty whereby
this country would agree to forbid the
expectation Of arms and munitions to
foreign countries, so that there might
be less opportunity for disturbing the
peace of the world through domestic
revolutions or war. America insists
today on the right to ship arms any
where in the world. The right to do
so is not questioned by foreign powers,
but the wisdom Of doing it is seriously
questioned.
American munition manufacturers
are said to have helped to some ex-
tent in preventing the treaty about
expectation of arms from being rati-
fed. The regulation of the arms traf-
fic is one of the international prob
lens which is supposed to be a con-
venience to nations large and small
who realize Americas capacity for
making war weapons is just now un-
limited. When America wants liquor
kept out of her territory because it
is likely to aid in violating An1eri-
can laws the probabilities are that
foreign governments before granting
the request will seek to examine the
whole question in the light of future
cooperation on the part of the United
States in assisting other countries in
meeting inconveniences of export and
import trade intolerable to them. 1t
means long and protracted negotia-
ton.
Copyright. 1921