Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-03
WORLD HARBORS-
MAY Be CLOSED To
AMERICAN SHIPS
BY ROBERT 7. SMALL
Ueased Wire Service to The Journai.r
Copyright, 1921

W
Copyright 1921
Washington, June 30.-The at
tempt to enforce the supreme courts
Interpretation of the Volstead act
against foreign ships in New York
harbOr presents today the unprec-
edented spectacle of the govern
ment being forced to bring about
what is admittedly a grave inter
national situation" over an appli-
cation of the prohibition law which
the government officials themselves
believe that congress never intended
President Harding himself has in
Dictated d purpose to ask the neXt
congress to modify the Volstead act
so as to permit foreign ships to
bring with them under seal wines
and liquors for their return voyage
the int0Hicants to I've used wholly
without HE territorial WarerS Of ;he
United Stac@s.
Albert ID. LaSIer, retiring head
of the shipping board and one of
President Harding's minutes, has
just issued ii statement Saying that
he believes the next congress will
amend The Nolstead law us in,li-
Gated by the president. Mr.. Lasker
says further that it is all wrong to
suppose That fanaticat interrrc-
tation OF the dry law will serve as
an aid 10 American @hipp:H9.
hlis,It Isolate T. ;.
In other words, Mr.. Laslier be
lieves that if the American rrohi-
bition law is applied so stringenrly
as to bar foreign ships from Amer
lean harpcrS, means would be found
to bar Anne ricln ships from for
eign harbors ami an uhthinkable
international situation created. In
such circumstances America would
be as effectually shut off from the
rest of the world cv"l rs some of
the most ardent isolutionists never
dared to dream.
The government is being COM
PEELED to so forward today with
drastic steps in the enforcement
of phase of the Volstead law
which the government itself will
seek to have moderated as soon as
congress meets. At best it is rather
an anomalous situation. If the Vol
stead act were an ordinary domestic
law there would be tolerance on the
part of the government. There has
been tolerance in the past, follow
ing unexpected court decisions
which have given an unusual and
eXtraOrdi mary twist to law. But in
the enforcement of the prohibition
laws there can be no tolerance on
the part of the public servants in
Washington.
They realize that the sentiment
of the dry element in the United
States is not a sentiment of toler-
ance, but instead militant vigi-
lance which permits no official with
a political future at stake to re-
main idle for a moment.
One Inconsistency
One of the Inconsistencies of the
perpleXing situation which has had
Washington all topsy-turvy for the
entire past week is the fact that
foreign vessels may sail through
the American waters of the Panama
canal heart whole and fancy free
with all the liquor on board that
they care to carry. OF course, this
liquor is not to be used on the trip
through. The Panama canal is ex-
cepted from the operations of the
Volstead act yet the waters of that
cross-iSthmian route is as much
the waters of the United States as
those of New York bay.
In view of the fact that congress
had no intention Of interfering with
commercial pursuits to the extent
of closing the Panama canal to rum
laden vessels merely because the
United States chooses to bar all in
toXicating liquors in its own terri
tory, the government officials here
feel that congress had no intention
Of barring from New York harbor
r., ri
liquors protected by the customs
seals of heir respective countries.
Knowing the extent of the senti-
ment here in Washington III favor
Of a modification of the law to
meet the situation. the administra-
ton nevertheless has no choice but
to- go ahead and enforce the law
to the letter. 1t is not to be Won
dered that the officials are going
about the task with a lack of en-
thusiasm bordering almost upon re-
luctance.
Good Relations Upset
While both sides to the controversy
are thus admitting that everything
is fright" in the rum imbroglio, the
unfortunate part of the affair is the
atmosphere that is being \created by
it. The governments understand each
other but the peoples do not. The
English people feel that the United
States is attempting to impose its
own view, its own sumptuary legis.
i lation, upon the peoples of the world
and that it is distinctly insulting
Great Britain in interfering with the
freedom of her shipping while in
side the three-mile limit. The En-
| glish newspapers. unfortunately
have made much of this liquor ques
tion' much more than should have
been made of it and the anti-Ameri
can feeling in England is growing
day by day.