The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-01-14

poisoned liquor during the holidays,
and their denunciations were fierce.
The senate adopted a resolution intro
duced by Edwards of New Jersey call
ing upon Secretary of the Treasury
Mellon to produce whatever CORE
spondence may have passed between
the Treasury department and Wayne
B. Wheeler, general counsel of the
,Anti-Saloon league, in, connection
with the poisoning Of Industrial alco-
hol to make it unfit for beverage pur-
poses. Several members of the house
introduced resolutions and other meas
uresa dealing with the use Of poisonous
denaturants. Mr.. Celler of New York
raised storm by asserting that con-
gressmen drink to excess and refused
to retract though others declared the
assertion was ian utter falsehood."
Brig. Gen. Smedley D. Butler, who
fought the bootleggers and grafters of
Philadelphia for many months, seems
to have changed his mind about pro-
hibition. In an address in Oakland,
Calf, the commander of marines on
the Pacific coast denounced the
eighteenth amendment as class legis-
lation, saying it reacted against the
poor man and favored the rich one.
It's principal demerit, he Indicated, is
the manner in which enforcement has
grown out OF it.
M ALTERS between Cantonese
lV1 forces and the British approached
a real crisis last week when mob Of
Chinese at Hankow, Infatuated by anti
foreign harangues, attacked the Brit
ish concession, took possession of pub
lie buildings, hoisted the revolutionary
flag and forced the foreign business
houses to close. The British residents
fled to the French and Japanese con-
cessions and all the British women and
children in Hankow, Kiugiang and
Ichang were removed by vessels, most
of, them being taken to Shanghai. The
Cantonese officials were appealed to
by the British consul and the made
quate British forces there were with
drawn, control of the area being sur
rendered to the nationalist command
err. The British government ordered
naval reinforcements from Hongkong,
and American and French naval forces
were held ready to land If the neces-
sity arose. The hostility Of the ma
tives in the Yangtse valley so far is
directed almost wholly against the
British.
EOR the first time since their with
4 drawal in August, 1925, the Amer
lean marines are in Managua, Nicara-
qua, together with some American
sailors-166 in all-commanded by
Capt. julius C. Townsend of the navy.
Landing from the q. S. S. Galveston
at Corinto. the party went to the cap
ital by train and was warmly vel
coined by the Nicaraguan national
guard and the officials of the Diaz
government. 1t was sent to Managua
ostensibly to guard the American lega-
ton and on the recommendation of
Admiral Latimer, who is maintaining
the neutral zone he established along
the eastern coast of Nicaragua. Ac-
tually one Of the important factors
prompting this action by the Washing
ton government is the determination
to protect the proposed canal route
across Nicaragua, for which the
United States paid $3,O00O0O, and also
to protect our leased naval base on
the Gulf of Fonseca. Support of the
Diaz government is part of this pol
Icy. Fully as important as the land
ing of the marines was the decision
of President Coolidge to lift the en-
barge on the shipment of arms and to
permit Diaz to get the 1000 rifles, 100
machine guns and several million
rounds of ammunition which he pur-
chased in the United States. This was
not pleasing to Senator Borah, who de-
clared that under existing conditions
1t was Intervention. The foreign re-
lations committee Of the senate, which
has before 1t resolution by Senator
Wheeler calling for immediate with
drawal Of American naval forces from
Nicaragua, decided to ask Secretary
Kellogg to explain to it this week the
entire Nicaraguan situation.
DRESIDENT GALES of Mexico has
1 begun the enforcement of the pc
troleum law. involving the prosecu-
tion of the foreign oil comnaniaS or,-
Grating on lands Ito which they have,
under that law, no legal right, having
failed to apply for concessions con-
firming their titles. The lands viii be
forfeited to the government. SIS ex-
pected that the oil companies will
seek injunctidns against the dispos-
session proceedlhGs Automatically the
dispute 0s'wss' &c the nsFi-