The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-06-12
COURT DECISION WILL
Be R|G|DLY ENFORCED
HARDING ovERRULED LIB
ERALS AND INSISTED ON
DRASTIC REGULATIONS.
ALL LOOPHOLES ARE CLOSED
New Regulations Given Out by Treas
ury Department Effective June 10.
Only Hope of Vets Is in Congress.
Foreign Governments Protest

WASHINGTON. - The treasury
has laid on the international door
step its new regulations carrying out
the supreme court decision barring all
beverage liquors from territorial wa
tiers of the United States after 1901
a. m. June 10th.
No loop holes have been left, ac-
cording to a treasury spokesman, and
the courts recent construction Of the
dry law will be rigidly applied.
Having failed to find any way by
which conflict with foreign Jaws could
be avoided, the treasury based its
new ship liquor rules on literal read
ing of the courts decision and pre-
pared to let come what may
Crux of Announcement
The crux of the administration
pronouncement which became eff
fective on June 10th, is found in sec
ton and 10 of the regulations. They
read as follows:
Section g. No merchant vessel, do
nestle or foreign, may lawfully carry
as cargo within the territorial waters
OF the United States any liquor for
use for beverage purposes.
Section TO- 1t is unlawful for any
United States or foreign merchant
vessel within the territorial waters of
the United States to carry or possess
as sea stores any liquor whatever for
beverage purposes.
Not Loophole Left.
Not a loopho1e, it appears, is left
whereby either the passengers or the
crews of foreign merchantmen may
obtain liquor for beverage purposes
while the ships are within American
waters. Any liquor found aboard any
ship within the three-mile limit for
beverage purposes may be seized by
prohibition or customs officials and
those responsible for it held under the
terms OF the Volstead act.
Almost Immediately after the SUI
preme court had rendered its decision
France, Great Britain, Italy, Spain
and other maritime nations, through
their Washington embassies, petition
ed for some modification of the law
which would exclude from its opera
ton ships of their flags.
In any event, it was urged, this
government ought not to enforce the
courts decree regarding foreign ships
until enough time had elapsed for
ships then away from their home ports
to return and discharge any lntoxicat-
ing liquors aboard before touching
again at an American port.
Effective on June 10th.
The administration recognized the
urgency OF the latter proposal and
! a
announced that the regulations which
he would issue under the courts de-
cision would not become operative
until June 10th.
But the protests of the foreign gov
ernments against the application of
the Volstead law, as now interpreted,
barring the possession of cargo or
ship stores liquors within the three
mile limit, have not been needed.
Liberal individuals among the group
OF administration officials who drafted
or reviewed the regulations sought
with microscope to find in the
courts decision some back door or
side door which would let the foreign
ships out, but it is evident that they
failed.
Harding Barred Evasion.
Moreover, it is we'll known in Wash
ington that the president himself, who
is the final aTbiter in such matters,
laid down the rule at meeting of the
cabinet that there should be no de-
liberate evasion of the courts inter-
probation of the Volstead act as ap-
piled either to domestic or foreign
shipping.
Supported by the president, the
e+r; Ia tho Oh
ministration easily had their way, and
although the state department, into
whose ears the foreign departments
have poured their complaints, was in
clined to urge moderation the liberals
were ovetruled, as the regulations
made public show
Its only hope of alleviating a sit
uation, which most officials agree will
be embarrassing to international COM
merce, was said to lie in remedial leg
islatiOn from the next congress.
Foreign Governments Protest.
Although the Washington depart
ment representatives of the maritime
: powers have been in frequent CONSUL
tation for several weeks in connection
with the liquor question and have
acted concurrently, they have at the
| SAME tlIIG pItSCIlCQ lllCI flNWc oSP-
arately to the state department and
any action which may follow applica-
ton for the courts decision through
the treasury regulations is likewise ex-
pected to be taken individually. 1t is
not believed that the sovereign gov
, ernments contemplate at present any
retaliatory action in their own ports
against American vessels.
The situation which will arise from
strict application OF the decision
has been officially called to the atten-
ton OF the state department by Great
Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Portu
gal, Spain and The Netherlands.
They, as well as other governments,
are understood to be hopeful OF relief
before long through some remedial
step which will afford them more lib
erty of action within the limits Of
| their own shiDs when in American