AMERICAN PROHIBITION

Southland Times, Issue 18930, 2 May 1923, Page 5

AMERICAN PROHIBITION

SHIPS AND LIQUOR IMPORTANT SUPREME COURT RULING (By Telegraph—Press Assn,—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) WASHINGTON, April 30. The Supreme Court upheld the Daugherty ruling under the Prohibition Amendment that foreign ships cannot bring liquor within the three mile limit, even as sea stores, thus upsetting the Federal Court injunctions. Simultaneously the Court upheld the Daugherty ruling that there was nothing in the prohibition amendment preventing American ships carrying liquor in foreign waters. The Supreme Court decision was made on appeals from the lower court, the decisions in the first instance being instigated by Mr Daugherty, and in the second instance by the American shipping companies. The Court’s ruling was based on a decision that the Prohibition Amendment was only applicable to physical territory under the United States sovereignty and control. Foreign and Amercan shipping are thus placed on an equal footing, neit»her being allowed to bring liquor within the threff l mile limit, but both are able to carry it outside. EFFECT OF DECISION AMENDMENT TO LAW FORESHADOWED NEW YORK, April 30. The New York Times’s Washington correspondent says that the anti-prohibition forces were at first inclined to take too much satisfaction from the Supreme Court decision, stating that American and foreign vessels could take on liquor at some port of call and leave them on entering or departing from American territorial waters. The prohibition forces, however, state that this would take so many vessels out of their way, and asserted that legislation would be introduced during the coming session of Congress forbidding vessels on the American registry from carrying liquors at any time. The Shipping Board, furthermore announced that the Government-own-ed vessels will continue to be dry, irespective of the Court’s decision.