The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-02-14
SEEN and HEARD
around the
National Capital
] BY CARTER FIELD

btlll SORE Will director CnOhte, OF the
Federal Alcohol Control admlnistra-
tion, because he will not permit them
to label their whisky straight" They
insist that this Is a rank dIscrImina-
tlon. brought about by the social and
economic influence of the British en-
bassy, working In behalf OF the Scotch
whisky Trust"
This rivalry between the Scotch and
Irish dlstillers for the American mar
ket Is one Of the queer twists that
could occur probably nowhere else In
the world because the roots of the mat
ter go back to DR.. Harvey Wiley. OF
pure FOOD fame. to President Taft's
liberal Interpretation reversing Wiley
on his What is Whisky?" argument,
and to prohibition.
The truth Of course is that in the
ordinary understanding Of the words In
America. Irish whisky is straight, and
Scotch whisky is not. But under the
ruling of Choate neither Is straight"
The ordinary American understands
straight whisky to be liquor distilled
from grain mash. undiluted by neu-
trail spirits or any other thinning" In
gredlent Under this definition prac-
tically all Scotch~whisky sold In Amer
lea. or In England for that matter, Is
4 blend. 1t has mixed with the orig
inal malt whisky neutral spirits, water,
a little sherry, and sometimes other In
gradients. Further, WHISTLES OF differ
ent distilleries and OF different years
are frequently mixed together to pro-
duce certain flavor or quality.
This Is not actually an objection-to
one who knows his whisky. In fact,
until the Scotch began blending" their
whisky with neutral spirits, they were
never able to sell 1t outside Scotland.
1t was little too pungent for the Eng
fish taste, for example. At a hearing
before the royal commission. several
years before the World war, 1t was tes-
tined that not drop OF straight Scotch
had been sold commercially for years
lin fact, not since just before 1906,
except once at time OF overproduc-
tion, when an attempt was made to
sell some In England. Despite heavy
advertising and boosting, the English
did not like the straight Scotch, and
continued to buy the blended brand
they were used to.
Real Sales Talk
But In America, due to Doctor Wiley
and to prejudices built up during pro-
hibitlon against the addition OF alcohol,
cutting etc. the word straight
has come to be very real selling ar
gument.
The Irish distillers wanted to take
advantage OF this, and were doing so
In their advertising In this country last
spring and summer. Then came the
ruling they could not label their whisky
straight"
Irish whisky Is not straight"
Choate insisted to the writer. every
Irish distiller mixes products Of differ
ent years"
In short, Irish whisky could be called
"a blend OF straight WHISTLES" Ii the
distlllers so desired. But not straight"
But meantime, due to some of the
atrocous tasting blends of straight
WHISTLES" marketed In America, a pref
udice against this term had grown up
In fact, two big whisky concerns capl-
talized that and by making blends of
actually aged whisky with neutral spir-
Its, with no new whisky to ruin the
taste, had run away with the market.
The Irish distillers. without excep-
tion all mix the product of different
years.
Their labelling as to age indicates the
whisky used In this "blend.n
Meanwhile, however. Choate had
been compelled to yield on another
point-his own definition of what could
be called whisky" Under his original
ruling Irish whisky could not have
used that word, because 1t was dis
titled at III proof, whereas he fixed
I6O as the limit. This the importers
ignored with Impunity for some months,
until 1t was revoked.
To Settle Feud
Inside information Is that President |
will settle the feud over sti- |
exports between Cordell Hull, /
secretary of state, and George Peak,
special adviser to the Presidents In |
favor OF Hull.
This will break the log jam which |
has been begging down the reciprocal
trade agreements on which Hull pinned
50 much hope. Hull has favored reci-
Drocal trade agreements, retaining the
most favored nation" clause. Peak
has favored direct barter agreements
between governments.
There Is not the slightest sign OF an
ending to the feud. Both men are de-
ermlned and stubborn. Neither Is CIV
ng any sign whatsoever OF yielding
Peak still stands firmly for barter, with
government control, virtually regimen
alton, Of both imports and exports.
Hull still stands strongly for the reel
'rocal trade agreements, which would
1--WE equal advantages to all foreign ma
ions not discriminating against the
United States, and for permitting trade