New Britain herald., 1923-06-29
BAR BEER NOW AS
 MEDICINE ON SHIP
J. s. Health Officials Issue New
 Orders at New York

New York, June ss.-Beer here after win he barred as medicine" from all steamships entering or leayr ing American ports, The United States Public Health Service has no autheEi- ty under provisions Of the Willis Campbell act to prescribe heeF and Dr. F, K. sprague, surgeon in charge Of the local ship liquor alloeatien bureau, was instructed yesterday from Washington to deny application for beer.
 The ocean giant I.eviathan of the United States States Shipping Board will carry medicinal liquor stores when she clears from pier s6 on July l. pr, sprague said,
 The new order against heer ad- mittedly puts new wrinkle into com plieatians between the American gov ernment and governments of foreign nations over the prohibition law in this country, II the Treasury Depart ment is 10 permit hard liquors as medicine, said ], l.. Filler secretary Of the French Line, the regulations al least should he sufficiently liberal to permit beer as such. inasmueh as the health laws of France and Italy hold that beer in some instances is a better medicine than hard liquor,
 Calls it Discriminatory
 Mir Filler was not certain whether this new order will he protested by the officials Of his line. II obviously is discriminatory. he pointed ont. even though the American govern ment specifically bans beer as medi- cine and has gone so far as to deny physicians n right to prescribe 1t as such. The French liner Paris sailed from New York Wednesday with B. roo litres of beer as medicine, legally allocated by pr. sprague.
 The last ship 10 clear from this port Hamburg American liner Hansa. from Hamburg. She went out with six brass rail bars prepared to provide unlimit- ed moisture for her 374 thirsty pas sengers. Having arrived June [. three days prior to the effective date of the Supreme Court liquor ban decision, she was legally entitled to carry back the intoxicants she brought over. Her liquor stores consisted of 1000 quarts of beer, 240 quarts of hard liquor. 300 quarts of champagne and 1000 quarts of wine.
 ' The master of the Leviathan al- ready has had his permit for medi- cinal liquor approved by the Health Service, and hard spirits likely will be carried aboard the reconditioned craft today. She will not, however. go to foreign ports as a palace of liquid joy Intoxicants will be doled out "only as medicine" said pr. Sprague. who ad mitted that the ships physician is medicine is needed. The ship liquor allocation bureau and other federal officials declined to say what quantity of spirits the Leviathan will carry.
 Other U. s. Ships Ask Stores
 Other American ships have applied for liquor stores as medicine and Dr.. Sprsg gue is executing the orders. which in turn are verified by Palmer Cam field Federal dry director. No Ameri can vessel has yet sought to expand the treasury department rules as to QuanIlIleS SalQ tHc OIlCltl llQuoT doler." They have applied for only reasonable quantities, he asserted.
 Customs inspectors will continue their daily routine of seizing excess liquor stores brought in by foreign vessels. The French liner Suffern, at Pier 47, gave up to dry men in yes- terday's seizures 2,227 litres of wine after French customs seals had been broken. The Chicago of the same line today will give up 1,740 ltres of beer and HOO litres of wine.
 The White Star liner Caropic from Bremen arrived with quantities of as- sorted liquors under British seals and listed as surplus medicinal require ments." The excess quantities will be seized today or tomorrow.
 White Star Line officials somewhat frightened over the prospect of having their vessels seized. as reported from Washington as possibility. took on hope when their Washington repre- sentative wired that the American government had no intention of taking so drastic a step.