GERMAN EYES OH THE “ DRY ” DISPUTE.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 August 1923, Page 4

GERMAN EYES OH THE “ DRY ” DISPUTE.

(Pv Chr.stopper Hart). HAMBUPG. Among tile many chips, real and imaginary, that the Fatherland perceives in its porridge, one of the biggest is undoubtedly the friendship between Kngland and the United States. Ii is, in fact, the next biggest chip to »uir alliance with France. Germany won hi give the very "brocks from off its hnrdies" if it could spoil either of these relationships. No wonder then that when, the Prohibition enibmgiio loomed on the horizon maritime Germany rubbed its hands in gleeful anticipation of mischief. The representatives of the big German .shipping companies met in solemn conclave at Hamburg and discussed the line of action to he taken in any dispute arising out of the United ■States claims. Although the companies felt very strongly that America had in this cate rather overstepped the mark in her zeal for temperance, they decide! that, ii would he imprudent for Germany to offend tile United States by a protest, were it ever so meek, against the new regulations. Discretion being the better pari of valour. Germany would lie low and let Great Britain. France, and ltalv bear the brunt of the Good Templars’ onslaught. Thc<e non-committal tactics would not only demonstrate io America what a really gentle and lovable creature Germany was, hut would also help to concentrate America’s antialcoholic wrath on the Knlcnte, and thus, m the elegant, metaphor of the vernacular, "Kill two Hies with one 1 he G ••final) Pres-, was given its cue to refrain from anv expression of restivencss at America's action and l« coniine its < ritici-mi in comments on what (■!■.; i P i tain was doing and saying in the mailer. To the titan: ice I discomfiture ol the Teutons, the British treated the whole matter with < onspicnlous moderation, firmness, and good humour. When the “medical stores” alternative was mooted and it looked as il there were going to he no squabble alter all, the German papers betrayed their disappointment by breaking inlo sneers and jeers ai British hypocrisy and other of our insular virtues. Now. however, that the sealed stores of the Transatlantic liners are actually being broken onvn by the New York 'authorities, the maritime mischiefmakers arc mie. 1 more hoping that what happened in Poston Harbour a hundred ami fifty years ago may happen again, with trilling variations, in HIT-,. Such hopes arc, of cour.-o, sheer folly. Uncle Sam knows a man when he sees one, ami will think none the less of John Hull because that outspoken old gentleman candidly points out to hint that a prohibition law which insists on treating the big international liners as though thev were

so many rom-niimrcs stands urgently in need ol amendment before it can be regarded either as courteous to foreign shipping or as worthy of America's own sou--a of fair play.