The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-07-24
RUM SHIP LAW
To STAND, IS
CLAIM
Fear of Retaliation by Europe
Is. Unfounded, Declares
"Pussyfoot" Johnson.
By LUTHER A. HUSTON,
international News Service.


LONDON, July 24l-Foreign ships
that enter American territorial
waters must be "dry" when they
come in, and If the rest of the world
does not like it the next move is In
it's hands.
SO. says W. E.. CPussyfoot"
Johnson, the American evangel or
prohibition, who is striving to spread
the gospel of enforced total alb
stinence to the far corners of the
universe. "Pussyfoot" has returned
to Europe, after several months in
America collecting new ammunition
for his prohibition battle in the "un-
enlightened" regions Of the Old
World.
THE restrictions upon the carry
ing of liquor by foreign ships in
territorial waters will not be re-
moved" Johnson asserted. Euro
pean nations will have to make up
their minds that if their ships are
to come to American ports they
must chuck their liquor overheard.
Issue Unforeseen.
"If Congress had been able to
forsee the issue that has been
raised by the strict Interpretation
of the Volstead act to include liquor
on foreign ships have no doubt
provision would have been made to
exempt them. But no one foresaw
the present situation, and I don't
think the restrictions now in force
will be altered"
why not?" johnson was asked.
Because the right of America to
pass laws as to what shall or shall
not be permissible m ner territorial
waters has been openly challenged
and flouted by foreign nations" he
replied. 1.-THE American people re.
sent that, and their resentment will
prevent modification OF the law
If Congress were to remove the re.
strictions now people would say
that Congress was Knocking to for
eign demands and yielding to intimi-
dalton by foreign governments who
deny US the right to make what
laws we wish in our own territory
Reprisals Improbable.
What about the threat of Euro
pean nations to pass laws in re.
taliation that would require Ameri.
can ships entering European ports
to carry a specified amount of liquor
and the intimation in many sources
that foreign ships should cease to
call at American ports?" he was
asked.
That's ali rot" johnson replied.
"No nation is going to be crazy
enough to enact any such legisla-
ton as that But if they should
pass a law that American ships had
to carry liquor before they could
call at European port American
ships would stay out. American
honor is not cheap enough to try
to evade the laws Of foreign coun-
tries.
7, LAS for. the economic aspects of
it, the United States, of course,
would suffer if her ships could not
enter European ports or if Euro
pean ships ceased to come to our
shores. But we would suffer far
less than the other countries would.
We consume at home SO per cent
of our production. and we could get
along without a majority of the
things we import If we had to.
Europe would be the biggest loser
by any such foolish policy as that.
Do Big Business.
II think, however. that this mat
ter of liquor on ships has been
greatly exaggerated by the liquor
people, who want to make trouble.
1t is foolish to say that the ques-
ton was raised by United States
shipping interests who sought to
remove some fancied inequalities
of competition. Our dry ships are
getting all the business they can
handle. / had to make my reser-
walton two months in advance to get
passage on the George Washington,
and it was the first trip l ever
made that / was not annoyed by
drunken passengers"
AS for the prohibition situation
in the United States, Johnson de-
clared that the law, after three
years of operation, was better en-
forced than the old license law was
after 100 years. Arrests for drunk.
enness. he said, have decreased by
half in the larger cities of the
country. and he quoted Prohibition
Commissioner Roy Haynes as au-
thority for the assertion that drug
addiction is decreasing.
More than 200 institutions for
curing the drink habit have closed
up" Johnson said. THAT shows
what prohibition is doing, for no
good Yankee business man ever
would close a business that was
paying a profit. These institutions
did not close because their business
was increasing. but because it had
petered out"