The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-25
WASHINGTON RUM SCANDAL |S TE:NS|F|ED
Police Propound Question Of Immunity To Liquor Claimed By Foreign Legation, But Which Are Believed Bootleg SWEEPING PROBE OF HIGH CIRCLE DRINKING LIKELY In The Meantime Many Prom inent Washingtonians Are Said To Be Breathing Easier Because Of Loss Of List

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24.-(By As sociated Press.)-The question of inn munity extending to liquors believed by the police to be the supplies of bootleggers, but claimed as the prop erty of diplomats, developed as an issue today in the scandal which has resulted from police raid con- ducted here last week.
 Although not naming any federal officials, Commissioner Oyster of the District of Columbia police, declared that he had asked Authorities" to explain why $50000 worth of liquors located by the police in the basernent of an apartment building during the raid, but claimed by a member of the diplomatic corps, could not be seized. AS a result of the intervention of the official of the foreign legation the liquor actually taken into custody in the case amounts to only Is quarts which was seized in an automobile.
 At the same time there were indi- cations of a sweeping inquiry being undertaken into frequent charges of liquor drinking in high places, while the disappearance of list of many hundred customers taken during the raid resulted in demands from sew eral quarters for an explanation. The district attorneys office is interested in the list with a view of prosecuting those whose names appeared on 1t and the demands for an inquiry are expected to be reflected on the floor of Congress immediately after the holiday recess.
 Seizure Declared Important.
 Commissioner Oyster declared to- day that seizure of the liquor for Which diplonnatic irif5nuhft ysr fs T 10 I,a anli It was not removed from the apart ment basement, pending investigation by the state department, after Dr. Venceslas Sokolowski, first secretary Of the Polish legation, who occupied a room in the house. had said that the goods were his and produced per mits showing that the liquor had been obtained by him through the regular channels provided under the law for assuring supplies to the rcp- resentatives here of foreign govern RseGts.
 with the showing of the permits there were indications that both the state department and the legation regarded the incident as closed.
 Interest in the missing list is the more intense because the names have been declared by some of the alleged bootleggers under arrest in connec- ton with the case to include several prominent in government and society circles of the capital. Elmer Trey chief of the intelligence corps of the internal revenue bureau, however, re- iterated tonight that none of the pa pers turned over to him by. police in the case contained the list of GUS toners. Both he and the district at torney's office indicated thorough search would be made for the names.
 Police working on the case. which has resulted in II arrests of persons alleged to have been operating Iron, tbe office of a bootleg ring turned their attention tonight to outside points in an effort to discover the channels through which the syndi- cate worked. It Is believed they lead to Canada.