New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-05
Predicts Dry u. S.
If War Lasts Year
Senator Asserts Public
Opinion Will Force Issue
for Efficiency

ZION VIII De dry II the war continues
another year" This opinion was ex-
pressed to-day by a United States SEN
ator who has represented the nation
in important posts and is recognized IS
one of the best constitutional lawyers
in the country.
"The enactment Of the prohibition
amendment which the House by the
force of earnest and thoughtful opin-
ion in the nation will agree to submit
before the end Of this session will
follow as necessary war measure.
That has been the history throughout
the belligerent nations, and find that
there is a stronger and moro pro-
nounced sentiment for prohibition here
than in England, France or Russia.
Never has there been such a demand
for efficient man-power as at the pres
emit time. Even the drinking man, the
occasional drinker, recognizes that an
occasional drink initiates against ef-
fciency and breaks down the response
blity of the individual.
"The question is not so much . moral
one as it is necessary to the solution
Of the war, to the upbuilding OF the
man-power and to the conservation OF
our national energy. All the resources
of the anti-prohibition forces cannot
stop the movement IL the war continues
long enough Tor the legislatures to
pass upon the proposed amendment to
the Constitution" =.
Asked as to the constitutionality OF
the provision limiting to six years the
time for ratification Of the amendment,
this Senator said;
Raising Of Issue Unlikely
THAT issue will never be raised.
/ The states will have passed upon IT
before the expiration Of six years. II
by chance the question should be
brought before the Supreme Court By
enough states ratifying it after pre-
| dominant number had accepted the
amer dment before the six-year period,
| the court, in my opinion, would declare
the limitation unconstitutional. ! can
find no authority in the Constitution or
in precedents for fixing the limitation
for the adoption or rejection OF pro.
posed constitutional amendment"
Prohibition leaders estimate that the
nine necessary states to the success OF
the amendment will be procured from
among those whose legislatures meet
by 1919. By the end Of next year
twenty-seven states will have prohibit
ton in operation. Twenty-four states
are now dry, the law in Utah having
gone into effect on August !. Indiana
becomes dry on April 8 next, Michigan
on April 30, and by the end Of next
year Montana goes into the dry column.
The states where prohibition has
been in effect are Alabama, Arizona,
Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho,
Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Ne
braska, North Carolina, North Dakota,
Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South
Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia,
Washington and West Virginia. Pro-
hibition becomes effective in the Dis
trict of Columbia on November and In
Alaska on January ].
Twenty.one States In Wet Column
There remain in the wet column
| twenty-one states. OF these the fol-
lowing have sessions Of their legislst-
ures in 1919: California, Connecticut,
Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota,
| Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire,
| Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin and
| Wyoming. II Is from among these that
the prohibition advocates expect to get
the nine necessary to ratify the con-
stitutional amendment But the fol-
! lowing states have annual legislative
sessions: Massachusetts,, New Jersey,
| New Mexico and New York, while the
| legislatures of Kentucky, Louisiana,
Maryland and Ohio will not meet until
| 1920.
The prohibition forces are conduct
ing fight in the country to force the
! House to act upon the amendment be-
| fore adjournment Of this session. Inas-
much as the Senate already has acted
| favorably upon the proposition, the
House may be forced to reconsider its
decision to postpone action until the
next session. The position assumed by
the House early in the session, the pro-
! hibition leaders say, will be set aside
! by public sentiment. Prohibition will
make the issue in the election Of mem.
bers Of legislatures in those states
which are now wet.
The dry forces say that they can con-
centrate their campaign In dozen
states, and they are confident Of elect
| ing legislators favorable to the ratif-
cation of the prohibition amendment
| On the other hand, the wet leaders
are just as confident they can control
the situation, since the stetes which
must be gained in order to carry the
amendment contain large cities, and
only recently most of them have, either
In their legislatures or by popular vote,
' 4 80,