New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-29
Members Will Not Even
Predict What the Re-
suit Will Be
Lodge Fears Public
Hostility to Move
Warns Against Imperilling
War by Dividing Opinion
in Nation

result will be cast on the proposal OF
whether brewing shall be permitted ir
the United States during the remainder
Of the war. Debate on the measure be-
gan in the Senate to-day.
Only the Senate can now save beer
from the triumphant attack Of the drys,
for the important preliminary battle
for the prohibition clause written into
the food control bill by the House has
already been won by the Senate Agri-
culture Committee
Many conservative Senator'S think
that when the bill IS finally passed IL
will be ir the form drafted by the
committee which permits wine pro-
producing, but not brewing and not
distilling. A few Senators are conf
dent that the revenue problem alone
will drive enough Senator'S into line
against the "sll except wine" prohibi-
tion in order to save beer. Actually it
is a toss up.
Two Senators on the Agriculture
Committee may be said 10 have con
demned beer and saved wine. They are
Senators Norris. of Nebraska, and Ken
yon. of Iowa. They voted to save wine
on the representation that to prohibit
wine making would result in a tremen-
dous wastage Of grapes, large part Of
which cannot be dried into rsisins. SO
close is the figuring on the final vote
that it is possible their two votes may
put a puictus on brewing during the
war.
There is n tremendous drive on 10
save beer Arthur Brisbane. who has
just bought THE Washington Times"
is giving IN most Of his front page 20
editorials declaring that the passage
OF the bill ia its present form means
that the country will become a nation
Of whiskey drinkers.
That this is true is indicated b. m.
great Glee on the part Of certain men
in Washington known to represent the
distilling interests.
Whiskcy Would Cost Huge Sum
The prohbitionists assert that the
commander al stocks Of distilled
liquor. use them for producing muni-
tions and thus cut off the whiskey sup
ply. Senators opposing the elimna-
tion OF beer say this never will be
done. that it is not actually contem-
plated by the bill in its present form
for the simple reason that there is no
appropriation for the purchase OF this
whiskey Purchase of all the distilled
liriuor IN storage in the United States.
4, is declared, would require from 500
600 900 10 s3OC 900, 900 at the very low
est. and it would probably exceed the
higher figure
No dry Senator has yet proposed an
amendment providing an appropriation
for this purchasing hence the gloe Of
the 9hiskey men. They further say, TO
their friends only. Of course, though
some Of il gets out. that the govern
men, would put itself in an almost i'd
otic position to buy the stocks Of dis
TILED liauor on hand, since it Is pos
sible to produce industrial alcohol az
from 25 to 80 cents gallon. Whisky
bought at 81 to 81 gallon would
Weld only about one-half its total in
alcohol. which would make industrial
alcohol obtained b. redistllllng whis.
key and other distilled liquors cos,
from 50 to 81 a gallon. or from eight
10 sixteen times the normal cost OF
production.
In addition to this<Gnancial burden.
Senator's point out that the beer reve-
nue. alone j. about sl30,00000o year,
which would be totally lost under the
present terms of the bill.
Wine States Fight for Beer
Sectionalism is virtually playing no
part at all in the fight to save beer,
strange as such a statement may seem
IN connection with a question involving
Democratic policy before either house
Of Congress. Actually the six Senators
from the three greatest wine producing
states. who Of all men might be cxoec--
cd 20 Wow with favor the granting OF a
monopoly in alcoholic beverages, to
wiLe. are lighting TO save beer. These
Senators are Wadsworth and Calder, O.
New York; Johnson and Phelan, Of
California, and Harding and Pomerene,
OF Ohio.
There are some prominent prohibi-.
tionists lighting to save beer. notably
Senator Gore. chairman of the Agricul-
ture Committee.
81 wouid gladly vote for bone-dry
prohibition were We not a, war;" said
Mr.. Gore to-day 10 The Tribune CORE
sponGent. but agree absolutely WITH
the statement that President Lincoln
used TO make. when urged TO break re-
lations with some European power dur
ing the Civil War: One war AZ a
time"
Senators representing states IN which
there are large cities with heavy for
eign born populations are urging on
their colleagues the danger Of srousinS