Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-06-12
ROLL OF CONGRESS PUTS
U. S. CLOSE TO
WATER WAGON
OFFER -FOUR PLANS
SENATE HAS RADICAL CHANGES
PROPOSED, ANYONE or WHICH
WOULD ELIMINATE ALCOHOL
FROM OUR NATIONAL LIFE.
BY ROBERT B. SMITH.
International News Service Staff Cor
respondent

International News Service Stan Cor
respondent
Washington. June 1.-THE United
States surely is going on the water
wagon.
Whether 1t will stay there longer
than the period of the war depends
on how the nation likes the expert
ence But careful canvass. Of the
entire membership of the houses to-
day demonstrated positively that the
dry" element was in control. Their
slogan of mo food stuffs for intoxi-
lcants" is winning converts every day.
Even the antis admit that only some
revolutionary plan which. like the
cure for the submarine menace Is yet
to be devised, can prevent the abso-
Lutte elimination of alcohol as factor
in Americas national life by the pres
ent congress.
This almost certain action will
make national prohibition the chief
issue in the next National campaign,
statesmen and politicians alike on
Capitol Hill agree.
There are now four distinct dry"
plans before congress- Each Of them
has the support of committee or
some organized group OF members
There are numegQls other isolated
prohibition programs backed BY an In
dividual member or two. who probab-
ly will merge with one OF the main
groups when the prohibition fight be.
gins In earnest. The four big plans
are:
l. The senate finance committees
recommendation, to be embodied. In
the war revenue bill, to tax distilled
liquor at such an exorbitant rate as
to make its further manufacture un-
profitable.
2. The senate agriculture commit
tee plan, to be presented In the form
of an amendment to the food legisla-
tion, to forbid the further Use of food
stuffs In the manufacture OF alcholic
beverages.
g. The Gore rider to the prefen-
tial routing bill, now pending in the
senate to prevent the shipment of dis
titled liquor in interstate commerce.
d. The Sheppard resolution favor.
ably reported by the senate judiciary
committee and now on the senate
calendar, proposing constitutional
amendment for nation wide prohibi-
ton
The first three of these will receive
strong backing from combina-
tion of simon pure prohibitionists
with the quas-drys who believe that
the nation ought to quit drinking H.
quor while the war RACES. II is en-
tirely possible that all three Of them
,. may be passed, and the concerted op-
! GRAFTON of the three would have nearly
the effect of bone dry measure.
- Berlin Recognizes War Exists.
n Washington, June 12--Announce-
y ment by Germany that the seventy
u four American citizens who constitute
" part of the fruits of the raid of the
converted raider Moewe are being
- treated as prisoners of war is the first
- direct recognition by the Kaisers gov
- ernment that state of war actually
exists.
incidentally this announcement re-
=, lieves a latent feeling Of anxiety here
that officers or gun crews of Ameri.
j, . can merchant vessels would be shot
40 should they be captured by Germans
I'd vessels by the Moewe have the status
I'll of prisoners, according to the under.
er standing here because Germany recog
as nized armed merchantmen as auxil
cf larry cruisers.
n. Germany original announcement
on that she would not recognize the
Cntcd states as an additional enemy
IN. was made at Il time when It had been
al believed that the United States would
de content itself with supplying funds
op and munitions. etc, to tho entente
~ Since then however, conditions ma
o" terally have changed. At present the
v" following belligerent Movements
$50 among others are In pr0afass;
american destr0Fers afe cooperat
o ing with the British and french na
vies in clearing the seag OF submar
ines
~ American warshlps have taken ovel