Evening star., 1926-08-18
BAR ON BRITISH
PAPERPUzl|NG
Customs Officials Suspect
Banned Periodical Is
SubtsTfuge.

customs officials here will ask a spe-
cial report on the holding-up at New
York of copies of an English period
:cal containing liquor advertisements.
as reported in an Associated Press Dis
patch, II was announced today.
They are puzzled over the action, in
asmuch as the prohibition law makes
n special exemption, allowing news
papers published abroad and mailed to
the United States the right to cir
Culate.
The action in New York, according
20 the dispatches. was based on the
rogulations closing the mails to liquor
advertisements.
Were 1t not for the special ex-
cmption the great majority of Euro
pean, Latin American and Canadian
periodicals would be barred from the
United States, since even the most
dienified of them are dripping wet
In the advertising pages.
Law Is Held Clear.
Solicitor General Donnelly Of the
Pos. Office Department pointed out
that the law did not contain any
ambiguity on this subject. Any
American periodical with liquor ad-
vertiSements is automatically barred
from the mails. Any foreign publ
cation otherwise acceptable is al
lowed 20 enter.
Customs officials. loath TO discuss
the situation without further facts,
said that an entirely different inter
nretatiou could he placed on the law
If il were found that the foreign
puhlic;tion VAS not bona tfde peri.
odica,, but was printed for no other
nuruose than TO advertise English l!n,
uor~ to American tourists. S'"h
publication sent to the United states
in large numbers, profanity "o'ti" '''
subject 20 seizure.
In the past. It was stated. n" r'!".
toms office has been little coz, 60 90
with periodicals. S'"''" " II -
price is 50 low that they are not sub
feCt 10 duty an'' ''
he province OF the Post Office De
paltment They have. nJatNt..
up magazines and newspa pers contain
Ing obscene litc'atur" ;,'"' "'r'1f""'''' ~
have been heI0 with postal officials
with a view to rlOSpl "',.. .'t:,tt.D..
May BE Special Guide.
They pointed to the possibility of
some enterprisinS American adver-
tisins solicitor with an eye on the
main chance. publishing a special adj
vertisin- guide Of London for thirsty
tourists, expecting to hide under the
special exemption provision OF the
postal law.
\ glance Al The newspaper racks al
the Congressional Library given over
20 foreign newspapers and magazines
shows the havoc Whic;r would he
wrought hv the law Wor" i not :"r
rhe exemption. There is hardly an
issue q! such -"i'.r;, a H. scholarly
ana con~erya i've London Times the
Manchester GErrdiun. the Morning
Post. the London Tei"-r2ph lie
Figaro o r. ..ie AL PreN:i Of Buenos
Are. tn" BtrEner Tagehlatt and pa
ne,.> ot yru.,l standing which does not
contain four or five whisky or beer
rIV"r: i@ca'1rut.>.
IL fnrr. hp only foreign paper
q" hirh lidn1 contain Il single liquor
I'd" VS. the GLASGOW Herald, pub
vhi~llv. AMI whrre apparently the
felnand i 50 heavy that there is no
need Of trying TO attract customers.
Church Papers Included.
rrItiSh literary and religious maga-
zines Ire their half pages devoted
20 --u''lriSe.lcnta Of whisky and WINE.
The Montreal Star. published in
CITY whose luuur establishments are
thr hpNen nf Nnm<nnds of Americans
rlrruliteS lrtc in the United States
despite adN ertiScmeHtS urging readers
~ insist on ROYAL Reserve whisky"
end hoaSting OF the remedial merits of
various Canadian beers and wines.
The action in New York, it was
stated in the dispatches. was tentative
on a decision from Washington.
Customs officials admitted that II
might be necessary to draw a fine
line as to just what Is admissible un-
der the law but contended that any
thing obviously subterfuge prob
ably would be barred.