Evening star., 1926-11-21
| Wants Government -Controll-
ed Concern to Be Sole Source
of Medicinal Liquor.
WOULD PURCHASE ENTIRE
STOCK NOW IN COUNTRY
Private Corporation Would Be Un-
der Rigid Supervision-Mellon
Indorses Proposal.

Branding the present system OF Gov
ernment control over bonded whisky
as Impossible" and inferentially a
failure. charging that sales agents of
the private owners of whisky too often
had been able to thwart Government
attempts to prevent diversion and
adulteration, and reiterating that the
medicinal supply for the country is
running so low that manufacture will
have to be started again shortly. AS
sistant Secretary of the Treasury
Andrews last night announced Con-
gress would be asked to set up pri-
vate corporation. under rigid Govern
ment supervision, which would buy
the entire existing stock. manufacture
new stock and constitute in the future
the sole source of supply of medicinal
spirits.
Secretary Mellon, who Joined Pres
ident Coolidge In vetoing previous
proposal that the Government take
over the supplies of medicinal liquor,
has indorsed the new plan, which.
Gen. Andrews was careful to explain.
is not putting the Government In the
liquor business.
"Cripples Bootleg Industry"
'It cripples the bootleg industry"
said Gen. Andrews, in announcing the
Treasury proposal for new legislation,
"by depriving it of the present oppor-
tunity to get pure whisky as a flavor
in the manufacture of fake whisky.
and makes it a serious offense to sell
this fake whisky under false labels
and stamps. claiming it to he good
liquor of we'll known brands"
Faults Of the present system were
scored sharply by Gen. Andrews.
Physicians and druggists were de-
scribed as having been "debauched."
Fake whisky" has been sold to the
public ION physicians prescriptions"
said Gen. Andrews and the Govern
ment has been unable 10 assure either
pure whisky or reasonable prices"
Furthermore under present law and
regulations, Gen. Andrews explained,
often spirits, "suita ble for medical
purposes" have been conf1scated and
destroyed. when they should be made
available for the replenishment of the
national supply'of medicinal spirits"
Replacement Law Difficult.
ANOTHER difficulty pointed out by the
field. marshal of prohibition was the
present law for replenishment. which
would lay on the commissioner of
internal revenue this responsibility.
Rep1enishment must be mdae prompt
y, said Gen. Andrews. but no thought
full citizen would want to place upon
Government official the embarrassing
responsibility of deciding what dis
tilleries shall be authorized to manu-
facture 3,00000 gallons of whisky
a year. nor to require him to under
take to supervise this manufacture"
Purely as a matter of administra-
tive efficiency" said Gen. Andrews.
''and without regard to the merits of
the prohibition law, We must ask Con-
gress for law to provide for the re-
Punishment and more effective control
and distribution of distilled spirits for
medicinal use. Existing supplies have
been reduced to about enough for Ave
more years. and. as whisky must age
at least four years before fit for
medicinal use, its manufacture for re-
plenishment must be undertaken be-
fore another Congress may meet"
The legislation Gen. Andrews char
acterized as necessary even at this
short session of Congress.
The private corporation proposed.
Gen. Andrews said. would be "in
fact benefcent monopoly" It
would purchase and own all the medic
inal spirits in the country. and be
the sole source of supply from now
on for medicinal spirits" 1t would
purchase six or eight distillery ware
houses and operate two distilleries.
Profits Would Be Limited.
The Government would name the
initial board of directors. including
outstanding citizens whose expert
ence will assure proper management
Wholesale druggist. banker. physi-
clan, life insurance executive. etc"
The Government would audit the ac-
counts, and earnings would be limited
to assure a reasonable cost" Of the
product. The corporation would own
all American brands Of liquor, and
imitation could thus be branded a
crime with penalties. Distribution
would be direct to the retail druggist
by American Railway Express.
The corporation, however, Gen
Andrews emphasized, in an informal
explanation of his formal statement,
would be entirely privately owned. and
would not place the Government in the
liquor business. The method of
financing under consideration, he
said, would endeavor to accomplish
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