AMERICAN LIQUOR LAW.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 287, 1 December 1923, Page 7

AMERICAN LIQUOR LAW.

A CODRT RULING SOUGHT. NEW YORK, November 30. The Washington correspondent of the "New York Times" states that although the President (Mr. Calvin Coolidge) is preparing to submit to the Senate a liquor treaty with Britain, Mr. Hughes (American Secretary of State) and the Marquis Curzon (British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs) are continuing their conversations on certain moot points. It is reported that Lord Curzon asked Mr. Hughes whether it would not be necessary for the Supreme Court to give a ruling upon the constitutionality of tlie proposed treaty whereby Britain would permit search of ships for liquor within 12 miles of the United States coast in return for the privilege of bringing ship's liquor supplies into American ports. Britain fears that the Court may set aside the provision pf the treaty by which British diners would be permitted to bring liquor within territorial waters.

Britain's interests centre chiefly on this provision. The question is not easily answered, there being a variance of opinion among American constitutional lawyers. It is believed, however, that the Senate and the President cannot ratify a treaty, a provision of which is incompatible with the American Constitution, the arbiter being the Supreme Court.— (A. and N.Z. Cable.)