CHAMPAGNE FLEET

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18234, 1 November 1933, Page 12

CHAMPAGNE FLEET

PREPARES FOR “WET” U.S. HOPES OF FRENCH FIRMS RHEUMS (France), Sept. 20. Nowhere is the “Wet” landslide in the United States being! watched more closely than in the headquarters of the champagne district—Rheims. As the returns”from State after State come in, all pointing to the same conclusion —that prohibition is dead and only waiting to be buried—preparations here for taking immediate advantage of the repeal arp the more energetically pushed on. According to the reckonings of the heads of the great champagne houses, the necessary two-thirds majority for repeal should be obtained almost certainly by December 8, possibly by November 8. One very famous firm has therefore chartered three ships to race the first consignment across the Atlantic, and is already opening offices in New York, Washington, and Boston. 1 Loading on these and other ships may begin in a few days now. The champagne trade hopes to send two to three million gallons across to America—as a start. v Mr. Roosevelt’s advisers are said to be anxious that prohibition should be repealed before Christmas. Everyone in the champagne district, from the directors of the great houses to the humblest “vigneron,” shares their anxiety. Before the war America bought more champagne than any other country.