The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-09-27
BRITAIN COLD TO
HUGHES DRY PACT
Replies to Proposal for Recip-
rocal Agreement on Ships
Liquor and Smuggling.
DOES NOT FLATLY REJECT
sidestepping No Longer Possible
With 12-Mile Elan Meeting ReIec-
tion-congressmen Report Law
breaking on Vast Scale.

Neutrality-suspicious. Britain's dec
lination to join the United States in
reciprocal treaty to permit this
government to search foreign vessels
for contraband liquor up to twelve
miles at sea is viewed as removing
any doubt that the whole prohibition
enforcement muddle would be thrown
into congress next winter.
The British reply, presented formal
Iy to the Department of State, closed
the door, but left it unlocked A con-
sideration of the Hughes proposal by
the Imperial Conference of British
Dominions in October was the only
encouraging note in .he reply. Lord
Curzon had indicated long ago in a
speech in Commons the British objec-
tons to the Hughes plan.
One of Mr.. Hughes principal diff
culties in urging such treaty was
the insistence of foreign diplomats in
Washington that the American Con-
gress would have to do som ething
about prohibition at its next session.
They have been hopeful of modifica-
tons to remove the difficulties of for
eign vessels under the Supreme
Courts Interpretation of the Volstead
act
Mr.. Hughes has not believed that
Congress would tackle the prohibition
problem if there was any possible
way of sidestepping, since presiden-
tial election would be just around the
political corner. Now, however,
Washington is convinced that Con-
gress can no longer ignore the ma
tional scandal and something more
vital than a committee investigation
to parade facts with which almost
every one is familiar is viewed as nee
essary.
Senators and Representatives who
voted for submission of the Sheppard
amendment and for passage of the
Volstead act have stated here within
the last few days that lawbreaking
on a scale impossible to exaggerate
was resulting all over the country.
One Senator, returned from a tour
of the West, where local option and
Statewide prohibition were effective
before the name of Volstead became
a household word declared "hooch"
of one kind or another was being
made of sunflower seeds in Kansas,
sugar beets in Utah, prunes in Cali
fornia, rose petals in Oregon, of corn,
rye and fruit juices everywhere. In
most of the Western states, he de-
o1o oil hut CT fn
obtain illegal liquor in 1920, but that
it was thrust upon visitors at present.
Efforts are being made to have Pro-
hibition Commissioner Haynes under
take an elaborate campaign, in CO.
operation with newspapers, to Lave
analysed and exposed the poisonous
content of many of the concoctions
which are being sold under label -
Scotch, rye and bourbon whisky and
gin.
That Congress cannot longer hold
its nose in pious disdain of the prob
lem, because it's members fear for
their political lives to tackle it in
commonsense fashion, is being stated
by leaders, who say they are just As
eager as any to dodge it, but do not
believe it is possible to do so. They
are telling Mr.. Haynes that he is not
zone of the rummies" who visit hotels,
cafes and restaurants where whole
sale violations occur, and, therefore,
is making himself ridiculous by state
ments which most people know to be
in conflict with actual facts.
Senator-elect Edwards, of New Jer-
sey, who has been in Washington for
a day or two, is likely to precipitate
the congressional discussion of pro-
hibition. He knows Of conditions in
his own State and will come to Wash
ington in December with something
Of commission from New Jersey to
agitate for modification. His course
likely will be to start with congress
sional inquiry and use the public in
terest thus aroused to force Congress
into taking some SOFT of affirmative
action.