Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-18
EMBASSIES LIQUOR
UNDER NORRIS FIRE
Nebraskan Declares He Has
Been Told Legation En-
ployes Selling Stocks.

The question of diplomatic i'm
munity regarding the prohibition law
was raised on the floor of the Senate
again this afternoon when Senator
Norris, Republican, of Nebraska de-
clared he had been told that employees
of embassies make business OF
selling liquor by the bottle"
Senator Norris was in the midst of a
speech on the problem of prohibition
enforcement in connection with an item
in the first deficiency appropriation Dill
to increase the Treasury allotment fol
enforcement. He was discussing other
phases OF dry law difiiculty when Sel1a-
tor Blease, Democrat, of South Carolina
asked the Nebraskan for his opinion
with reference to the shipment OF liquor
into Washington for the foreign en-
bassies and legations.
Senator BIease declared the liquor
Is brought in from Baltimore in large
trucks, which are guarded by United
States soldiers, and then freely dis
tributed around the city to outsiders"
Norris Explains View.
81 think" Senator Norris said, lone
of the sad predicaments applying to the
District of Columbia that We get into
in the enforcement of the law is the
thing the Senator from South Carolina
has suggested. have never had any
body try to sell liquor to me, but have
talked to employees of the Government
who told me that employees of some OF
the foreign embassies make a business
of selling liquor by the bottle. I do not
know that the heads of the embassies
know anything about it, but the en-
ployes are using this liquor and selling
1t illegally, and they ought not to be
protected in any way am In favor OF
anything that will go TO the eradication
of that evil"
Information concerning the amount
of liquor for the diplomatic corps also
was sought from James M. Doran, pro-
hibition commissioner, by Representa-
tive Celler Democrat, of New York. in
a letter made public today. He points
out that the Department of Commerce
does not include liquor in the figures
for imports by diplomats and consuls
because it has been refused the infor-
nation both by the Bureau of Customs
and the Prohibition Bureau.
"I have discovered that most of the
liquor comes by way of Baltimore. the
nearest port to Washington" Mr.. Celler
Sdlu III Ll1S 4CbtCL. dlAO d1AlCu 1OSCA41o
ment guards escort the trucks into the
Capital City and deliveries are made at
the embassies and homes of foreign Of
ficials in sort of house-to-house de-
livery
Says Trucks Often Seen.
Mr. Celler wrote that a Washington
newspaper recently reported that two
hi-jackers imperiled the transportation
of truckload of rare wines and liquors
being transported to Washington lega-
tions These trucks thus guarded by
United States officials" Mr.. Celler said.
"are frequently seen on the highways
between Baltimore and Washington.
Some come down from Canada and New
York under Government escort. 1t is
common knowledge that much of this
diplomatic liquor trickles down the
throats of many who do not wear the
braid of diplomacy. Diplomatic liquor
is peddled all over Washington" he
said
mot long ago at a restaurant and
dance place in Washington prohibition
or police officials broke up a table where
liquor was used. I believe two girls were
arrested and later released Their escort
was untouched. He claimed immunity
as an attache of an embassy 1t was
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