Evening star., 1923-12-25
|DROP LIQUOR CASE
| INVOLVING NAMES
Immunity of Polish Legation
Official Held to BE
Established.

Decision to take no further action
concerning the possession of ap-
proximately $4,000 worth of liuuor
by DR.. V. Sokolowski, first secre-
tary of the Polish legation. was an
nounced today officially by Elmer
Trey, chief of the intelligence unit of
internal revenue bureau, who is in
complete charge Of the investigation
of the alleged liquor Syndicate of
which twelve members have been
placed under arrest on charges Of
conspiracy to violate the yolstead
act.
I'VE are convinced from docu-
mentary evidence" Mr. Trey stated,
that protest lodged against the
possessor of the liquor in the house
for which d search warrant was OBJ
tained would be useless, inaSmuch
as the credentials Of the man claim
uine beyond the shadow of d. doubt"
This ends speculation regarding 8
action as TO the alleged warehouse
of members of the alleged syndicate.
According to reports, agents had
trailed the liquor in a manner sutti-
cient to justify issuance of the
search warrant for premises on CO.
lumbia road. Upon the display of
the warrant investigators found
liQuor in the basement of the house
mentioned, but when an attempt was
made to confiscate it DR.. Sokolow-
ski claimed diplomatic immunity
for it.
Action In Suspense
That stopped things for awhile
and the next announcement from
police officials was that the matter
was to be presented to the State
Department for action. Police later
turned over all records in the case
TO the special intelligence unit and
Commissioner Oyster announced yes
terday that Mr.. Trey was in complete
charge of the Investigation. Mr.
Ireys statement today, therefore,
concerning State Department action
In the case.
Mr.. Trey also announced that twelve
or fourteen names had been obtained
from one of the persons arrested as
the names of clients of the concern.
AS to the list of 1,400, he again de-
clared he knew that no such list was
or ever had been in the possession
OF the intelligence unit operators.
Possibly for prosecuting the twelve
however, loomed rather definitely in
view or the announcement of As
sistant District Attorney A. \. Pres
mont. Mr.. Trey said that this, and
be turned over to the office. of the
District attorney as soon as the holi-
day season is over.
Question of Publication.
Another angle Of the case cropping
up today is the probability of this
situation being made a bone of con-
tentfon between the "wets' and the
"drys." First Indication of this was
given today in statement issued by
Wayne B. Wheeler, general counsel
for the Anti-Saloon League. 1t refers
70 the previous statement of Capt.
w. II Stayton, president of the as
soclati6n, against the prohibition
amendment, asking that names Of
purchasers be published.
Mr.. Wheeler says:
To publish but not punish those
listed as violating the law by buying
SSoot!eg booze as advocated by Mr..
Stayton of the Association Against
the, prohibition Amendment is one
more notification scheme of an or
ganlzat1on which would make the
constitution 20 only scrap Of paper
ciety to stand for law and order. al
ways evidenced by its opposition to
laws enforcing the eighteenth amend
ment, Is further shown by its un-
Willingness to stand for the punish
thOSc CduSnI Viola ting the
plain letter of the law.
Deal Means Conspiracy.
when two persons. the purchaser
ana the seller, agree to violate. the
1Aw, they are conspiring." Judge
Thompson. speaking for the United
states circuit court Of appeals for the
th1rd district, has said: 'Tt is possible
mat the purchaser may be indicted
Wit, with the seller for conspiracy to,
v1oiate the Volstead act" A fine of
so,oOO and penitentiary sentence of
Two years is possible on conviction
for such conspiracy.
1t took several years to bring the
FEDERAL courts to avail themselves of
the Injunction provisions OF the law.
padlocking premises where the law
was violated. 1t took a longer period
to bring about the use of the penalty
provisions of the revenue act When
the American people realize that this
lawless handful of alcoholic addicts
will not obey the law, then the courts
viii find 1t necessary to use all the
weapons in their legal arsenal to
ahadisnsar -.