Liquor-in-Port

The Neptune Association is an organization of deck officers on merchant ships flying the U. S. flag. It went to law recently, asking an injunction to prevent British ships from entering U. S. ports with liquor under seal. British ships do this by virtue of the treaty with Great Britain granting this privilege in exchange for allowing U. S. coast guardsmen to search and seize rum runners within an hour's sailing distance of the U. S. coast. The Neptune Association protested because British* ships by this arrangement may serve liquors eastbound as well as westbound across the Atlantic and thus have an advantage in competition for passenger traffic over U. S. ships, which can do neither. The Neptune Association contended the treaty was unconstitutional since the 18th Amendment forbids the transportation of beverage liquors.

Last week, Federal Judge Julian W. Mack in Manhattan refused the injunction because it is beyond the power of the courts "to compel Federal officers to enforce the law." He declined to pass on the constitutionality of the treaty.

*Also French, Danish, Norwegian, German, Italian, Swedish, Dutch, Panaman ships, by reason of similar treaties.