Evening star., 1923-05-26
Commerce Menaced If Rec.
ognized Practices Disre-
garded, U. S. Told.
COMMENT is WITHHELD
BY STATE DEPARTMENT
British and Spanish Send Notes.
French, Italian and Dutch
Opinions Given Verbally

Five foreign governments .1roa
ltAe maze known to the State De-
pdrtrnent their position in regard IN
Inc recent Supreme Court ruling
AGAINST the presence of liquor on for
eisn SHIPS inside the three-miIe limit
bes'des communication received
yesterday from the British embassy
the department has received tbe
views of the Spanish government
also in writing, and the attitude ~
the FRENCH, Italian and Dutch gov
erhments have been presented orally
to Secretary Hughes.
Protest Inconvenience.
In substance. it was said today at
the department, the FIVE countries
take the same position in calling at
tention to the '.inconveniences" re-
sultlng from the court decision and
also point out that freedom of inter-
national commercial intercourse IA
threatened If heretofore recognized
practices of comfy between nations
In this regard are abandoned.
The State Department would not in
dicate what course it would follow re-
Garding the British or Spanish notes
The British communication has no,
been subjected to study, nor is it in.
dlcated whether it calls for a sue
cific reply. The Spanish note was
passed along to the Treasury Depart
ment, where new regulations affect
ing foreign ships are in preparation.
be followed with. the British commu-
nlcation: Treasury officials also have
been informed as to the substance Of
Ine statements made by the French,
Italian and Dutch
Haynes Is Adamnnt,
Prohibition Commissioner Haynes
1t was learned today, is not in ac-
cord with the plan reported to be
under consideration at the Treasury
TO designate as medicine liquor the
wine rations carried by foreign YES.
sells. Such n method of circum-
venting the objections of the foreign
powers would not be a real compfj-
ance with the Supreme Court decis-
ION, IN the opinion OF MIR. Haynes and
1t was learned also that d draft of
the new regulations proposed by
prohibition headquarters would ex-
ciuIo even the liquor carried or.
din8rily as ships stores
Contest JurisdictIon.
In formal representations to the
State Department on the ships' liouor
question the British government is
understood to have taken the position
that American port authorities have
no jurisdiction in international law
to interfere with the bringing Of
liquor into American waters by for
elsn vessels as part of their regu-
lar supplies.
The British position IS understood
70 De nased on the construction that
the jurisdiction Of American officiaIs
ever foreign ship cargoes intended
Tor importation into the United
states IN no way extends to ships
stores or rations.
Find Way out.
The British view. with its apparent
conflict in principle with the recent
supreme Court decision, is presented
as Treasury officials are endeavorinr
to formulate regulations to carry n,,f
the decision and at the same time
II is understood, satisfy the position
OF foreign governments. There were
increasing indications today that
.hey nave round a way to accomplish
thls by permitting foreign ships to
list the wine rations of their crews
as part of the medicinal stores al
lowable under the law.
While the British representation
was being made at the State Depart
ment a corps of Treasury and pro-
kibition lawyers were engaged in fur
ther study of a tentative draft of
the regulations. Assistant Secretary
MOSS. who has Jurisdiction over the
prohibition unit of the Treasury, and
j. J. Britt. prohibition bureau coun-
sci. conferred with Secretary Mellon.
but it was said the discussion includ
cd only minor questions developed
under the court ruling.
No Comment Here.
None of the Treasury officials would
comment on the action of the British.
but 1t was stated that representa-
tions had been expected Publica-
tfon of the proposed regula tions,
which are to go into effect June 10.
VIII be made at the earliest possible
date, 1t was said, so that foreign gov
ernments may know the problems
with which they are confronted. In
this connection. 1t was added that
the American government, knowing
the contentious of other nations
would be better able to meet situa-
tions developed by protests.