Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-12
Question Brought to Fore by
Leviathan's Owners Is
Slated for Discussion.
MYSTERY SURROUNDS
SHIPS PRESENT VOYAGE
New York Hears That Liquor Is
Being Sold on Eastward
Voyage.

BY the Associated Press.
The question of the right Of Ameri-
can vessels to serve liquor as beverage
at sea is regarded by officials and OBJ
servers here as almost certain to be
brought vigorously to the attention of
the new Congress when it meets in spe-
cial session next week, at least in the
form of discussion.
The promptness with which wet and
dry organizations ard spokesmen for
the prohibitionist viewpoint expressed
themselves on the decision of the Levia-
than's new owners to abandon the dry
policy which governed the liner under
the Shipping Board. made such an OUT
come practically foregone conclusion.
Supply Is Restricted.
Prohibition enforcement authorities
meanwhile have shown considerable in
tereSt In the statement Of the public
relations department OF the United
that it would be fair to assume that,
while the ship would be dry on its
present east bound voyage and wet only
On the return trip, liquor would be
served going both ways hereafter.
The ship, they said, can possess liquor
legally within the American three-mile
limit only IS medicinal stock under a
Federal permit. Such liquor can be
sold, they held. only to flll prescrip-
tions issued by physicians as in the
United States, and must be accounted
for with such prescriptions. That ap-
plies, it was declared, whether the
liquor is issued on the outgoing or home
coming voyage. or in In a foreign port,
No liquor can be brought within the
three mile limit by an American ship,
it was emphasized, unless it is provided
for by the medicinal permit. Thus,
Commissioner Doran of the Prohibition
Bureau explains, the Leviathan cannot
legally possess liquor to serve on such
trips.
The motive which actuated the new
owners Of the United States Lines in
their decision is regarded by many here
as having been put into words in an
opinion on the incident expressed by
Vice Chairman Plummer Of the Ship
ping Board. Under treaty arrangements,
foreien shipk are allowed TO keep bevef-
age LIQUOR stocks under seal In American
waters. but this is denied to American
ships by law and under the Supreme
Court decision of 1923 which held that
they were at liberty to serve liquor
outside the three-mile limit.
PIummer Favors Legal Sale.
ST do not believe" Mr. Plummer de-
clared. that United States vessels
should be forced to operate under con-
ditions that would make competition
with foreign ships harder than 1t now
is. In my opinion, they should be AL
lowed to sell liquor, If they think 1t
necessary, provided, of course, that this
sale of liquor is legal"
Some prohibitionists profess to see In
the 1928 Supreme Court decision on
which the new owners of the Leviathan
are relying in their new policy the
suggestion which will defeat 1t. Although
the court referred to the convention
that merchant ship was part of the
territory of the Nation whose nag she
flies as merely "a figure of speech. a
metaphor they recall that 1t also stat
ed that I'VE do not mean to imply
that Congress is without power to regu-
late the conduct of domestic merchant
ships when on the high seas"
SALE ON TRIP is CHARGED.