Evening star., 1923-06-10
Vessels of Three Powers,
Forced to Violate Own
Laws, May Bring Test Case
to Determine Validity.
OFFICIALS SEEK METHOD
TO AVERT COMPLICATION
Flexibility Of Medicinal Needs
Seen as One Small Loophole;
Embassy Liquor Not to Be AZ
fected; Dry Agents Prepare to
Enforce Measure.

Despite vigorous protests from sew
eral foreign powers and in contraven-
tion of the law in at least three Eu-
ropean nations, the American gov
ernment last midnight placed in eff
feet Its ban on beverage booze at the
| three-mile limit, laying down the dis
puted principle of prohibition even
on foreign ships in American terri
torial waters.
The thing is admittedly fraught with
possibility of the most delicate interna-
tional eventualities. 1t is going to be
hard TO enforce. Foreign powers don't
like it. They have protested vigorous
ly. and have not promised cordially
that they will try to cooperate as
| best they can.
In fact, it may be that one of them,
particularly of the nations which re-
quire ships crew rations, may decide
| to violate the regulations, and make q
test case. The regulations will cause the
ships of at least three nations to break
their domestic laws requiring ships
crews rations-France. Italy and Spain.
Test Case Complicated.
But if the test case is brought,
where could 1t be tried except in the
courts of the United States. bound to
uphold the American Supreme Court
edict upon which the regulations are
based or in the world court established
| under auspices OF the league OF nations,
which is now the target for some OF the
brightest fireworks of a powerful branch
of American sentiment?
That ship-liquor ban, which will bar
all beverage liquors inside the three
mile limit of these coasts, throws the
! American prohibition question for the
first time like barb into international
relations. Hitherto it had been domes-
tic. Now it Is international. America
| legislates for foreign vessels. as well as
American ships.
Trouble loomed on the horizon the
| moment the Supreme Court of the
! United States handed down the edict
declaring American prohibition ex-
tended TO the three-mile limit on all
ships. but to none beyond the three
mile limit.
Protests, at first informal, began to
pour in from foreign shippers: later
from the powers themselves. intor-
mally and then formally.
For a time 1t was hoped by the con-
servative thought of the administra-
ton that there would be a loophole
to escape international complications
through declaration of all ships
stores to be medicinal liquors. This
door was later closed. 1t was found
impossible under the law and the
courts decision.
Problem Remains.
The crew-rations problem stuck
like a burr under the saddle. At
tempts were made to remove 1t. 1t
wouldn't be removed. And there l.
sticks, an avowedly open question, a
point of absolute departure between
the laws Of the United States and the
laws of France, Italy and Spain.
Briefly stated, the ban, on at last
midnight, provides three things:
/. NO merchant vessel, domestic
or foreign. may lawfully carry as
cargo within the territorial waters
of the United States any liquor for
use for beverage purposes"
2. "It is unlawful for any United
States or foreign merchant vessel
within the territorial waters OF the
United States to carry or possess s
sea stores any liquor whatever for
beverage use.."
3. Liquor for non-beverage pur-
poses may be transported on vessels
within the territorial waters OF the
United States under permit In ac-
cordance with the provisions Of
certain sections of the regulations.
In that third point enters the only
possibility for amelioration of the
situation so far as foreign sksas are
concerned, and that will extend only
to medicinal and sacramental liquoi.
No hard and fast limit is prescribed
for non-beverage liquors, but SEN
timent is widely split over the pos
sibility of saving the international
situation thereby.
See One Way Cat.
One school of thought is inclined
to feel that the agencies charged
with administering no-beverage pro-
visions of the regulations will be
able to make them SO liberal that
foreign protestants will be appeased.
Others feel even more strongly
that the medicinal restrictions will
be made strictly medicinal, and afford
no relief.
The administration OF the entire set
OF regulations rests upon the Treas
ury Department, which has relegated
the work to the customs service. the
prohibition unit and the public health
service.
The French government not only
filed protest against the ban, but
went SO far IL was learned yestsg-
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