San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-24

have scrupulously rcfraincd from
patrOnizing "bOotlcggers. The lesser
officials connected with law enforce
ment also know they are being OBJ
served and they. too, are beginning
TO practice what they preach.
This doesn't mean that Washing
ton is bone dry" There are boot
lcggers" plying their trade here as
elsewhere The embassies and leGa-
tions are BY diplomatic precedent re-
garded as foreign territory and hence
not subject to the constitution or
laws Of the United States. Much of
the talk Of embassy liquor running
freely is exaggerated. Some attaches
have lent themselves to schemes of
the "boOtleggers" and frequently the
latter have used servants and en-
plOyes TO aid in getting empty bottles
and the use Of diplomatic trucks and
vehicles but in the main the amount
OF embassy liquor finding its way into
the hands Of "bootleggers" for resale
is very small indeed
No account of what is happening
in Washington would be complete
without mention of the custom of
present-giving which some of the en-
baSsieS and legations quietly observe.
The foreign diplomats and their secre-
taries sympathize with the thirst of
their American friends.
Is Dangerous Practice.
The writer talked with the am
baSsador here of one of the great
powers who said he believed this was
a bad custom and he had issued
strict orders to the members of his
staff several months ago to abandon
it. He senSed possible embarrass-
ments. First, the embassies and legs-
tons watch each other carefully and
there is no telling when one of them
would be the means of telling about
the gift-giving of the other. Broadly
speaking, the giving of wines and
liquors to American officials by their
embassy friends is not practiced for
any particular purpose but there is
always the chance that the influence
OF foreign governments might be cx-
erted through such indirect methods
on pending legislation or on acts of
departmental officials. Congress it.
self has never taken official cOgniz-
ance of this but recently there have
been resolutions introduced induiring
of the Department of State AS TO the
amount of liquor permitted to enter
the United States for use in embas-
sizes and legations. Such information
Is intended to develop whether a rca-
Sonable or unreasonable supply is be.
ing imported.
Then there is the question of
whether the imported supply may be
USED IN an embassy for entertain
ment purposes and for the ambassa-
dor own table or whether it can
be delivered to the homes. flats and
apartments Of the dozens of lesser at.
taches who are usually included in
the privileges of diplomatic i'm.
munlty on the theory that tbpv and
their effects are a part of the pm.
DaSsy household. Congress may some
day. seek 10 restrict the meaning nj
diplomatic immunity in the United
states but the chances are tho DO.
partment of State will yoIuntoriIv
WORK out the problem with the en-.
bassies and legations 50 there win bo
no need of publicity or controversv
IN Congress
Washington Not Dry"
ashington itself is not "dry"
city in the sense thar roetor,,
municipalities are. Being close to
maryland where there isn't even q
b STATE enforcement act and whore tho
governor is a wet" the onnortrni.
teH for the liquor traffic are almost
: 'ne same as in other cities Some
OF the biggest raids of the probibi.
tion era nave been staged ir the ma
IiohaI capital. MOOnsLinp from tho
Hs'hla nils comes in reguIarI,
more deceptiOns are practiced baro
IFI maps IMAM elsewhere. "BoOtIegrers .,
VINO nave gathered W empty BOTTLES
nee. 10 0y the embassies boldly proclaim
mat 'heN are selling embassy Iiouor
vi 'lTe ihey pretend they have i'm.
ported their goods through cmbassv
Recent investigation of Gozors 81
samples bought from "bootIeggors~ W ~
the District of Columbia REVEALED tbo
usHai amount of diluted whiskcv and
poIsoIed substances. SO far as the
noh,oliiclai class is concerned. it is
as aiuch me victim of the bootleg.
ger trade as the population Of any
" . cry on the Atlantic Seaboard
;;m'ukn INC police here are more active
~ pursuing "bootIeggers" than is the
case in other cities.
. AS for the official class tho nro.
, hloltion organizations arc irvine h,
+ every subtle means in their mower r.
persuade those higher M to set N
example and practice self restraint ~
7 mat the cry Of hypocrisy raised ont
: sac OF Washington shall not imnad,
me development Of a public srnti
ment throughout the nation.
! There are of course those who bo
: i.eye that as the national canitg
a '!shtens up and liquor get, scarce,
and Scarcer the ruling class will h,
l more appreciativp Of The demands "t
I the gopuacc for light beverage IN,
: table use. Whatever be the result
n the law on the part of those who
e make and administer the laws ol
d America. the big development Of rho
: hour is that officials high and low
l. are waking up 10 the fact that m,
i eyes OF the nation are turned az
n them and that the gossip Of the mast
il accuses them Of failing 10 prartic,
= what they preach Under such cir
I ruhSi anceS ti" inevitable tendency i,
Y TO drink les ron~picuou>Iv or moi n
all, and the absence Of good IiGuo,
~ | is maxine fIt,, 1otto, -. .-. -