Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-29
WILSON DEFENDS
/ BEER AND WINES
President Opposes Sweeping
Prohibition Clause in
House Bill
URGES NOTIFICATIONS s
Sees Blow to Personal Liberty
in Measure Barring All
Liquors

WASHINGTON June 29.-President will
sons stand against bone-dry prohibition,
conveyed to Congress this afternoon, forced
the wet" and dry" issue in the Senate
close to a showdown and according to lead
ers has cinched the exemption of beer and
light wine manufacture from the drastic
'dry" provision adopted by the House Pre-
diction was made that the question might be
Brought to a vote before adjournment to-
morrow night.
The Presidents views on the liquor aues-
tion were conveyed to Congress in an in
terview at the White House with Senator
Martin the Democratic leader Of the Sen.
ate, and Senator Gerry, Of Rhode Island,
and later in mysterious letter, the text
of which is not yet made public They
turned the upper House into a score OF
whispered conferences while the food-con-
troll bill was perfunctorily debated on the
Senate floor and forced an entirely new
alignment on the prohibition question.
Two courses were under consideration by
Administration leaders this afternoon as a
result of the White House pressure.
First. To strike the whole prohibition
issue from the food-control bill which the
President insists must be passed at once
and take the question up as part of the
war revenue bill.
Second. To offer an amendment to the
food bill on the floor forbiddng the use
VI lOOuSlulls III lllS manufacture OF WHISKY
and authorizing the President to restrict
beer and wine-malSing If the emergency
demands.
The first plan has the backing Of the
Finance Committee which believes that the
prohibition question should be treated
wholly as revenue matter. It was consid-
cred doubtful whether a sufficient number
OF the bone-dry prohibitionsts would con-
sent to dropping the dry" provisions from
the food bill
II, however. Congress does what now
appears impossible and votes absolute pro-
hibition, 1t Is believed President Wilson
would veto the bill.
A great sympathy for beer and wine has
developed in the nation Literally thou
sands of letters and kilograms to Senators
show preponderance of pro-beer sentiment
Church organizations, however, continue
their active work for complete prohibition
There are few kind words for distilled
spirits As a result, even some Senate drys
are prepared to take their stand on prohib.
iting spirits manufacture, but allowing beer
and wine production to continue.
United with these will be Democrats and
Republicans who have sweltered over the
war tax bill in committee for weeks in de-
Using means to raise revenue Most active
OF these are Senator Lodge, who has op-
posed including beers and wines in the pro-
hibiton section of the food bill, and Sem
, Committee one of the Administration lead
ers Behind this FIRST line" the vets will
throw the full strength of their forces
Unless the dry amendment as now
attached is modified, all parties in the SEN
ate admit that debate on the food bill will
drag along just as long as the vets are of
mind to push It.
Friends of the bill threatened to invoke
the closure bill-or to try to-if any evil
dence of a filibuster developed.
A delegation of New York restaurant
owners anxious as to the fate of their busi-
ness in case of prohibition, came here to-
day to confer with Senator Wadsworth, of
New York. and to sound out congressional
sentiment on the measure Oscar Church
Ill. Of the Waldorf, and Pratt Kyne, John
Cavanaugh and Adolph Lorber told Senator
Wadsworth 1t was up to him to save their
business II was Senator Wadsworths
opinion that beer and wines will be allowed
to be manufactured, but that distilled spirits
will be tabooed. There is nothing in the
food conservation bill, he said, which pre-
vents the sale of stocks of whisky or other
intoxicants or their Importation from
abroad.