The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-01
THE TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORMATION BUREAU
By FREDERIC J. HAsKIN, Director.
washington. ID, c.
WASHINGTON GOES DRY TO-DAY

WASHINGTON GOES DRY TODAY.
Washington, Nov. THAT is, more
or less dry. To be exact, law went
the making and selling OF liquor in
the District, except for sacramento
and medical purpose, and its importa-
ton for the purpose Of selling 1t or
giving it away.
1t does not prohibit anyone from
having liquor in his possession or
drinking liquor, or importing liquor
for his own use. In a word, the
wheels of government may still be
judiciously fabricated; the national
throat shall not lack utterly its tradl-
tional comforter. Congress, out of the
largeness of its legislative heart, has
bestowed upon the people of the Dis
trict of Columbia the blessing OF pro-
hibition without necessarily imposing
the same blessing upon itself in an
unmitigated form.
Congressman Can't Treat.
Every law, be it ever so carefully
drawn, has certain provisions which
may be variously interpreted, and TINS
law is no exception. 1t PLAINLY per-
mits a man to import liquor into the
District for his own use, but 1t spe-
officially prohibits him from importing
it for the purpose of giving it away
Mind you, now, it doesn't say he may
not give it away but that he may not
| import or manufacture 1t for that
purpose.
| congressman who drew the bill were
not unaware of 1t, either. In the hear
| ings on the district prohibition Dill
we find four congressman engaged IN
an earnest debate as to just what the
prohibition against giving away liquor
means. 1t is a matter of wide interest.
Almost everyone comes to the capital,
at times, and some of these travellers
in the future will undoubtedly bring
along a bit of liquor. Comes the
question of whether it is permissible
and within the law to offer the bottle
| to another. There is also a larger
question. Washington is city of L an
quets. That strange amusement OF
civilized man which consists of pro-
| longing a meal almost indefinitely and
adding to the tedium by allowing al
most anyone ia talk as long as he
wants to without interruption, is here
a leading Occupations almost a profess
sion on the part of some people. To
banquet without yawning, without
permanently imPairing the digestion,
and without going to sleep on the
job is one of the first essen
tials of political, and especially
of diplomatic success. There are men
who have banqueted themselves into
high places, those who have banquet
ed themselves out of high places. and
quite a number who have banqueted
themselves into the grave.
Liquor At Banquets Illegal.
From the viewpoint of some ban
quettees, there is no more important
element in a banquet than the alco-
hoIic. Certainly if there are any cir
justified in the use of narcotics, sed-
atives, opiates, or other nerve dead
eners, it is alta political or diplomatic
banquet. Moreover, alcohol in some,
and usually in various forms is
traditional part of banquets. No one
has ever tried to give a banquet with
out liquor except former Secretary of
State Bryan, and his offering of grape
Juice to European diplomats was
locally considered a social icono-
clasm, and certainly did not establish
a precedent.
Outside of official circles. too,
Washington has a social life of grow
ing scope and intensity, which is not
modelled upon prohibition lines.
Now the question arises, May a man
offer liquor to his guests and still be
within the law? Representative
Lloyd, who is from Missouri, told the
committee that in his state, the law
was not so interpreted; that for a
man to have liquor upon his own table
was not considered giving it away
Representative Focht saw another,
peril in the bill.
come to see me, could not give him
a drink" he dema nded.
An Individual Case.
Representative Barley, who pre-
scented the bill to the committee, ex-
pressed the opinion that if Mr. Focht
had the liquor in his possession for
his own use, and gave the drink to
the constituent only incidentally. he
would be within the law. His inten-
ton in possessing the liquor would be
the determining factor, and this would
be matter of evidence. Thus if Mr..
Focht imported liquor in large guam
titles and entertained constituents in
large numbers, there would be estab-
| lished a presumption that he was de-
| liberately using liquor for the nefari-
GUS and illegal purpose of giving con-
| stituents drinks But if the constitu-
| ent is merely the fortunate recipient
| of chance nip, which would other
wise have gone down the legislatorial
throat, Mr. Focht would be under no
| suspicion of morally turpitudinous in
tent.
| But Mr.. Barley distinctly expressed
the opinion that the serving of LIQUORS
at banquet would be illegal Mr..
Focht cited the specific case of a ban
quet given by a newspaper publisher
to his employees at a hotel, and asked
whether the serving of liquor at such
| an affair would be a violation of the
new law. Mr.. Barley said that it
I would.
On a Grape Juice Basis.
Here, then, is a nice point to be de-
termined. Will the law permit the
secretary of state to offer champagne
| to the Chinese ambassador, if it will
not allow an employer to offer a drink
to his employees? Is all the gayety and
pomp of Washington society to be con-
Quoted on grape juice basis? These
problems will undoubtedly come I'D
for solution in the near future.
| The prohibition movement in WASH
ington began a good many years ago
when, congress in a moment of self
| sacrificing virtue. expelled the bars
from the Capitol building, and there
after went across the street for it's
drinks. Then a law was passed ex-
purgating from the city's list of sa-