THE BIGGEST BOOTLEGGER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 31 October 1922, Page 8

THE BIGGEST BOOTLEGGER

THE U.S.A. GOVERNMENT \MKRTCAN SHU'S INSIST ON SELLING LIQUOR During the past few inontlis there jm* boon a veritable storm of diaciis■sim in America over the fact that the iiovemmeut of the U.S.A. has been frrumrl to be "the biggest bootlegger ot the bit rich," and a persistent breaker ot ili,. prohibition, law. As is well known everywhere, the ]fU"est owner of American ships is the United States Sliipping Board—a branch „t Governmental activity. It is axiomatic that American ships, wherever they rioat. are American territory and under ,*he jurisdiction of the laws of the Unttla btates. Notwithstanding this, the ■4iips carrv wide-open bars for the sale, <,t akohol'ic beverages. Travellers dedare that the Sliipping Board vessels, a>T the wettest on the ocean. No wonder that protests have declarer! "that when the Government of | ti,e United States permits one of its, departments to violate the prohibition law on the most extensive scale in the world, to make money, it sets an examole ot' hypocrisy unparalleled in the jriiory of the Republic. How, may we -.sit 'can the Government expect its 'citizen* to respect the prohibition law iijurf obey it, when the Government itself % the chief offender?" . ' A plain statement concerning the situation is found in a leading article iu the Ne.«r York World for June 16th, ?322, which declares:-' the Government professes to shut oft the sale of liquor on land, winch it has not done, then sanctions it on Government ships ■ju"io£tion of law, and now is asked hv wav of punishment to outlaw foreign Sps that carry liquor for the use ot t ?r o.wu passengers at sea. What next wilt we undertake *s the most virtuou. people in tho world or the regulation of everybody's private habits.' •Another Ne* York journal remarks: "One law for *ea and, one for shore—u it wise for the prohibitionists to con«nt. to that? What could be a more shameful spectacle than a Government that breaks its own laws? Is it n«t plain that prohibition breeds problems, discontent, and bad business. vof.e Continuance.*