Show I J JA A n WASHINGTON BYSTANDER By KIRKE L. L SIMPSON WASHINGTON A A A shudder o ot of alarm gr greeted ted word ord ord from Baltimore that a a. cargo of embassy liquor quor ha had been assailed d by hijackers and es- es s only by b- the tho heroic re of oC the the- truck driver Just which particular lea leaOr or legations w were re thus threatened with a lL dearth of or holiday good cheer chee r 08 not stated but the value of ot th the gurgling cargo of ot the truck wa was estimated tt l at Whether r that tha was s by bootleg quotations or actual to foreign reIgn sales ales price and without an any Import or export dues which dues which Is th the way diplomatic liquor comes comes come also was not stated HIJACKING EMBASSY LIQUOR It Is by no means the first time Urn shipments of ot diplomatic liquors have have hav been attacked en route Not a a. great grea great deal gets into the tho papers about this entirely legitimate liquor traffic i Both Doth tho diplomats and government officials generally are inclined t to toshun toshun shun publicity Tho The active and jn n- n Illicit purveyors of stron strong drink In Washington however s seem m to have little difficulty in discoverIng discoverIng discover discover- I In Ing Just when hen t I a sizable shipment is to be expected and frequently they la lay Ingenious ambuscades fo for it Embassy liquor is a selling argument ar argument ar- ar for Washington bootleggers bootlegger o of exceptional effectiveness It If the they can convince potential customers customer that the liquor involved actually di dicome did come into the country under diplomatic diplomatic dip dip- protection special prices price are in order on the assumption that tha this Is a a. guarantee of er beverages At one time there was so muc much threat of bootleg highwaymen in in- in liquor shipments that th British embassy is said to hav have hae to his majesty's marines marine th tho safe conduct of laden trucks truck from rom tidewater to Washington A Amarine Amarine Amarine marine sergeant usually is on duty at the embassy as messenger am and handyman The sight of this soldier soy sol dier and sailor too in uniform is not or at least east was not unusual on the streets a short time ago Whether the kings king's uniform was worn in escorting liquor shipments r further to overawe potential hijackers hijack hijack- ers the D Bystander stander does not know Imo He d does es know V. no from rom personal ob ob- ob however that when the British delegation arrived in WashIngton Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington for the naval limitations conference ron con ference in 1921 a detachment of uniformed Jollies handled the baggage bag bag- gage gage beg beg pardon pardon luggage luggage which included quite a substantial number number number num num- ber of cases of ot suspicious weight and size LEGALLY WET DINNERS Washington ashington is unique in having this wholly legal use of beverage liquor going on within a community community where here ever every government agency Including its police pollee is controlled controlled con con- trolled by federal law Jaw alone and cooperating to enforce prohibition enactments Diplomatic immunity extends only to the missions in n Washington and not to to gen consuls eral or other foreign official representatives representatives in the ports It is not unprecedented when hen a foreign official of note is visiting Washington for some local hotel note to see a dinner or luncheon given b by the interested diplomats at which 1 all the tho old-fashioned old liquid trimmings trimmings trimmings trim trim- are in order from cocktails to liqueurs It is not done in the general public dining rooms of course just as a matter of good taste in a dry country but there is no effort or OL reason for effort to conceal the proceedings |