Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-07-26
SHIP LIQUOR CONTROVERSY
TOLD OF BY HASKIN
Daily Letter by Frederic J. Haskip

WASHINGTON, July 2s-Tho
highly romantic chapter in prohi-
bition history, now being enacted in
connection with the carrying of
beverage liquor by foreign flag ships
is being followed with keen interest
by foreign nations. No such spec
tacle probably ever was presented
to the world before. The possibility
not at all remote-of officers of
the United States actually Selling a
great ocean greyhound, placing her
captain under arrest and delaying
her departure, is something hither-
to unheard of. Many Americans
and, doubtless, most foreigners have
felt that under no circumstances
would the American Government
take such an action. This Is far
from the truth. Very recently,
when the ship liquor dispute was at
n of its hottest stages, instructions
concerning the seizure of foreign
ocean liners actually were drawn up
and were lying on the desk of a
high official of the Treasury, ready
to be sent by telegraph to prohibi-
ton directors and collectors of the
customs at the principal ports. In
QCNdt lliISG us QClAOlA6 LOi iASldIl
seizures still are lying in readiness
and may be dispatched almost any
time.
The fact that most of the ships
which come to u shores are of
British register and that, therefore.
Great Britain is very largely con-
cerned in the ultimate outcome of
the controversy, is well understood
by the British people. Their views
of the situation are of special in
terest.
The British people might be com
pared to a vast crowd watching a
baseball game, a bullfght or some
such spectacle. All England thus
watches the ship liquor controversy
and what the British press says con-
corning it and concerning American
prohibition generally throws some
light on how the great American ex-
pertinent is regarded abroad,
Observers of public affairs believe
that the efforts of the Prohibition
Party to extend prohibition over
setback by the working of the ex-
pertinent in this country.
American Newspapers Critical
One of the angles of the situation
which perhaps most astonishes the
British public is the attitude of the
American press toward the Govern
ment's handling of the ship liquor
situation. mo foreign journal nor
eorrespondentiy," says one great
London daily, would dream of APP
plying 10 the United States Govern
ment terms as scathing as those in
which leading journals, irrespective
of party, condemn the Administra-
ton in connection with liquor in
foreign ships. The position of the
United States is characterized as
humiliating, Notifying, and ridicu-
lous, and the Administration is de-
seribed as actually In a panic over
it's own incompetence and Mr..
Hughes proposal of a twelve mile
limit as a debasing confession of the
Governments weakness.
A great London newspaper re-
fers to the series OF statements
emanating from the President, the
Treasury, the Sltte Department and
the Prohibition Unit as well as from
other Official sources at Washington
as IAN amazing record of contradict
tons. In general, the British press
seems to feel that the American
newspapers are uniformly critical Of
prohibition and the manner of it's
enforcement. One journal says
the American press sis amazed and
disgusted1. Concerning the public
as apart from the press, the news
paper declares: High officials are
sorely worried over the political
aspects of the situation and sober
minded and thoughtful people even
more so through fear that some
~over-zealous prohibition officials may
sink a foreign vessel and produce
grave international consequences"
The British newspapers seem in
clined to resent the fact that most
of the American prohibitionist at
taeks on ship liquor refer especially
to British ships. Why not French
Italian, German or other ships, the
! British papers ask, A feeling APP
parently is growing in Great Britain
that the American people are dis
terminating unfairly against the
British in their attacks. This is
| especially surprising to the British
because several other maritime ma
tons have been giving serious con-
sideration TO plans 10 bar from their
shores American ships which do not
carry liquor for passengers. There
has been more Of this latter sort OF