The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-22
Some Think That Test Vote Should Not Be Demanded Prior to the National Con- ventiOns
OTHERS, HOWEVER, ARE NOW INSISTING
 ON QUICK ACTION
No One Doubts That Prohi- biti0n Will Be One of Ma tion's Livest Questions
 Before Another Winter
By HUSH w. ROBERTS

Washington, December 21.-(SpeciaI.) While it is generally said to be true that the prohibitionists will urge Con- gross immediately after the holidays to enact proposed prohibition amend for ratification to the several states, it Is made known through an inside tip that the steering committee of the Anti Saloon League of America, invested with supreme authority respecting poIit- teal policy, will not determine before the 'xpiration of the current week it's course of action.
 Some days ago a mass meeting held
 under the auspices of the National
 Womans Temperance union, by accla-
 nation. adopted resolution calling on
 Congress to enact the proposed amend
 ment. At about the same time the
 steering committee of the Anti-Saloon
 league was in session. Among the members of that committee, difference of opinion, it is understood developed.
 some of the leaders insisting that Con gress at once be assailed, and others,
 with equal fervor, insisting that the struggle be delayed until after the
 national convention of the democratic
 and republican parties are held next
 June.
 WHY THE DELAY? From what can be gathered, the ques- tion was left unanswered, and the final policy will not be determined before the conclusion of the current week. It is an interesting bit of gossip however, that certain members of the committee hesi- tate for fear of embarrassing the demo- cratic administration in presidential year, and also for the reason that it is probable that their cause will receive more careful consideration after the po- litical game of the rival parties has been played. It is understood that P. A. Baker of Ohio, president of the national or ganization, adheres to the Fabian policy of delaying the great stroke
 While up to the present time Congress has been concerned solely with prepara- tens for preparing for war" and mat ters of revenue. prohibition is destined tc be live issue before the coming of an- other winter As has been previously reported, prohibitionists will attack from three angles. Tn the first place, they will insist on the enactment of a pending bill preventing whisky from being shipped from that state or states in which it is manufactured to any other state or states; in the third place, they will join 1n an issue to make the District of Co., lumbia dry" The Alabama bill, that which would deny the mails to papers | magazines and circulars advertising whisky, will fail of passage, it is be- lieved. although there is some strength | possessed by those advocating simply tha circulars be taboo by the mails. THE FATAL BILL To the liquor industry, that bill whict would deprive whisky of it's status at a subject of interstate commerce, is Judged the most far-reaching. Should il
 be enacted, the whisky business would be irreparably crippled in that goods could not be shipped under cloak and protec. tion of law from the state in which it is
 manufactured.
 | It is said to be the plan of the advo.
 cates of a dry District of Columbia tc
 tack section containing their scheme or
 the end of the general appropriations bill
 It is said that they have strength enough | to prevent the passage of an appropria tlcns bill-possiby by means of a filibus ter-unless that bill in every respect i ] satisfactory to them. Certainly, there i
 promise of interesting developments In thu 1 near future