Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-07-02
COMMONS IN ROW
| ON RUM SEIZURES
Baldwin Promises Action
] After Legal Aspect Probe
! by Special Committee.
BY the Associated Press.


LONDON, July. 2.-Prime Minister
commons CLEAN of light today on
Great Britain's attitude toward the
ship liquor seizures during the daily
heckling on the subject from men,
bers apparently dissatisfied because
the government has shown no signs
OF opposing the American measures
Mr.. Baldwin said the government
was awaiting the report of a COM
nittee now considering the question
which would enable the government
to determine its attitude He added
that the report was expected shortly,
and this seemed to'placate the Dues
TONERS.
The committee is composed of
members of the foreign office and le-
gal department, with Ronald MCNEIL.
undersecretary for Foreign affairs, as
chairman.
Mr.. McNeill was asked by Sir Will
liam Dawson, conservative member
for the southern division of Kensing-
ton. whether the Supreme Court had
laid down that the American gov
eminent might, out of consideration
ercise Of its jurisdiction. or exercise
II in limited way without foregoing
its sovereign rights.
Answer Refused.
The undersecretary referred Sir
William to Foreign Secretary Cur
IONS recent statement of the matter,
but the questioner was not satisfied
with this and wanted to know
whether the refusal of the United
States to exercise this discretion was
simply to bring to bear pressure on
this country to get us to extend the
three-mile limit"
Capt. Viscount Curzon, conserva-
tive member for the. south division of
Battersea, interjected: Are His Maj
esty's government to be understood
to give the United States government
an absolutely free hand in this mat
Mr.. MCNEIL said that would be
quite a false Interpretation of the
situation.
Sir William Dawson then urged
that the American government had
the power to fulfill a. request from
Great Britain to allow transportation
of liquor in steamers under seal when
it would not be consumed while the
vessels were in American waters.
Called Laughing-stock.
Arthur Samuel. conservative mem
Der for the Farnham division OF Sur
reg, asked: rs 1t not a fact that the
statement OF the law has placed the
United States government, much
against it's will. in such a position
that 1t has become the laughing stock
Of the whole world!"
Prime Minister Baldwin then took
a hand in the discussion. He denied
that he had official information that
the American government proposed
to arrest ship. captains and seize for
eign vessels entering harbors with
liquor under seal, and expressed the
hope that the interdepartmental
committee considering the question
would before long make definite
recommendations enabling the gov
eminent to determine it's attitude.
LONDON, July 2.-Lieut. Col.
wanted to know whether Americas
enforcement of the law was due to a
desire to protect It's own mercantile
marine and force foreign ships to a
position ofequality with its own. The
speaker shut him of, saying II was
impossible to give Interpretation to
the motives OF foreign power.
The last shot came from Emanuel
Shinwell, labor leader, who said he
thought it was about time to declare
that the interests OF British trade and
British shipping were more important
than the alcoholic tastes of the pas
sengers.