LIQUOR TRAFFIC, BAHAMAS. (Hansard, 9 July 1925)

§ Mr. SCRYMGEOUR
I wish to draw attention to the Bahamas International Trading Company, Limited. This is perhaps the most audacious bit of business that has been transacted in this country, and is likely to cause very serious trouble with the United States of America. This company is established within an hour's cruise of the Prohibition American coast, 758 and has established warehouses for the purpose of providing surreptitiously supplies of the various intoxicants, including what is termed the House of Lords whisky, and they are undertaking this business through a London firm and boasting to be doing this under the British flag, with perfect freedom and with the greatest facility to operate against that country. One of the special features of this is that three of the directors of this company are Members of the Legislative Assembly in that Colony, and this company claim that they have been able so to arrange matters as to cut out all the smaller concerns and secure a monopoly of this business for themselves. I received this morning; a communication from a Church of Scotland Minister, Rev. D. E. Auty, of Dundee, in which he says: I enclose prospectus received this morning which is the most breath-taking document which I have read for a long time. Its impudence is colossal, brazen and disgusting. To this depth will money-greed, satisfied anyhow, drag men. And under the protection of the British flag. Can nothing be done in Parliament to stop this wicked effrontery? At least publicity should be thrown upon it. And what has the Colonial Office to say about this shameless confession of corruption—Directors of this business, being members of the Legislative Assembly, and using their public position to further private interests? I hope you will be able to expose this scandal effectively enough to end it. It is worse because more safeguarded than that notorious Colonel's rum-running scheme shown up some time ago. This company under the British flag are now proceeding as far as they can to break the Prohibition laws or the United States. Whether we agree with Prohibition is another matter. In our country, to have 6uch a proclamation made in any prospectus regarding any Member of this House would be an actionable thing. Is it, therefore, possible under our Colonial Office that we should have so deliberate a policy pursued, and that without any action being taken by our Government to see that at any rate this opportunity should be checked, and checked immediately? If we cannot do that, and especially when we have such a paper as the "Manchester Guardian" devoting a leading article to it and concentrating on the Colonial Office for its responsibility—if we fail to do that, it is all very useless talk for Lord Balfour or anyone else to talk about unity with the American nation, because the American 759 nation has set this as one of their laws as adamantine as any law can be. It is high time that the Government took steps to bring down this lawless crowd.

§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. Amery)
I am glad I happened to be present in the House, otherwise I had no intimation from the hon. Gentleman that he was going to raise this question to-night.

§ Mr. SCRYMGEOUR
It was last night.

§ Mr. AMERY
Yes, last night. In the few minutes left I can make only a very brief explanation. I fully agree that whatever we may think of the advisability or desirability of legislation in the United States, it is their own affair, and it is not for us to do anything but discourage as severely and as effectively as we can any attempt by British citizens to violate or connive at violating the laws of the United States. We have shown our anxiety in this respect in no uncertain fashion. In order to help the United States in this matter, and meet their views as to what is the most effective method of doing so, we have waived old-established rights of ours at sea, so as to give the American Revenue authorities and the prohibition authorities much greater powers for dealing with the scandal of rum-running. Anything else that we can do effectively we shall do.
I would like to point out one or two facts. This prospectus, I am quite prepared to say, is anything but a creditable document. As far as I can ascertain by telegram, the Governor of the Bahamas knows nothing about the company concerned. The prospectus, however, does not profess, indeed, in so many words disclaims, having anything to do with the rum-running. What it 760 says is that the free and abundant sale of liquor in the Bahamas, owing to the strategical position of the island, will be a very profitable one. I would, however, remind the hon. Member that the Bahamas, as far as legislation is concerned, are a self-governing community. They enjoy a measure of self-government which is nearly three centuries old. Their constitution stands to-day unchanged for 197 years, and it is entirely outside the power of the Colonial Office or this House to compel the Bahamas, unless we proceed to the extreme step of suspending their Constitution, to pass any legislation, except such legislation as they themselves may approve.

§ Mr. SCRYMGEOUR
Cannot you make representations?

§ Mr. AMERY
We can make representations, but the Governor is all the time in favour of tightening up anything that can be done executively, and doing all that can be done by the exercise of his influence. The last thing we want is to see these islands simply the headquarters of the drink trade, but we cannot expect them to pass legislation which is different to and goes beyond what we have in this country. If they did so, the only result would be that the liquor would go to some other centre nearer the United States or equally near the United States, and be distributed from there. As a matter of fact, the executive measures taken are stricter than those here, and have had the effect that the amount of liquor going to the Bahamas has been very substantially reduced in recent years—from £1,000,000 in the year before last to £600,000 last year, and is diminishing rapidly at the present moment.