The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-06-14

sheppard, the recognized leader of the
prohibition forces in the United States
senate. This interview followed sew
eral DAYS after the letter written to
Senator Sheppard referred 10 by the
Times Dispatch,
Following these interviews and a
correspondence with Senator Shep-
pard, Mr.. Hoover. rejecting the views
Of the administration, made public
statement opposing the prohibition OF
The use of grain and fruits in the MAX
ing OF beer and wine. as long as the
sale of distilled spirits is permitted
the reason given being that such &C
ton would force the country to a whis-
key basis Mr.. Hoover then further
declared. still rejecting the views OF
the administration, that II the Amer
lean people want wartime prohibition,
congress should prohibit by direct leg
islation to that end" And Mr.
Hoover continued and said. the food
administration has gone as far as II
can toward temperance without pre-
Cipitating worse situation. If the
American people or congress will stop
the sale OF distilled liquors, the ad-
ministration will find no difficulty in
stopping brewing"
Neither the president nor the food
| administration has expressed any Cd
position whatever to the passage 81
wartime prohibition. The admins
tration has simply declared that the
way TO secure such prohibition Is by
direct legislation by congress, and not
| by conditional executive action and
MIR. Hoover declared In the same state
ment referred to above; II wish to say
emphatically that from a strictly food
conservation point of view, I should
like to see the use of foodstuffs sup
pressed in all drinks, hard and soft"
The purpose of the prohibition
workers of the country is to do exact
ly what the administration suggests,
namely to ask congress to pass a
straightout national war prohibition
Dill This bill has already been intro
duced in the house by Judge Barley
OF Kentucky, and the same bill will be
introduced in the senate as a substi-
| tute for the Randall amendment. I'M
less somewhat similar but shorter
measure is proposed in the senate
committee on agriculture.
The statement In the Times Dispatch
OF June 10: IF the prohibitior.fsts
would permit congress to devote its
time to work directly connected with
the war. periodically abandoning
their never ceasing agitation, and let
the states manage their own affairs,
they would be doing the country a real
service" indicates that the Times Dis
patch really does not know what effect
prohibition has had upon the war BY
the testimony given to the undersigned
in person, by leading generals in the
army. from General Pershng down,
and from admirals In the navy. such as
Admirals Sims and Wilson. command
ing our forces in European waters. no
legislation has been passed by con-
gress which has been more beneficial
TO the army than the legislation pro-
tecting the soldiers from intemper
ance and vice, passed by congress at
the urgent insistence of those same
prohiPitionists, which the Times Dis
patch considers to be so pestiferous.
The prohibitionists know that the
passage of wartime prohibition by
congress is directly connected with
the war. From Mr.. Hoover's state
ment made to Senator Sheppard,
there would be a saving of $4,000, 600
bushels OF grain, to which are to be
added millions of pounds Of sugar.
millions OF tons Of coal. millions OF
cubic feet Of transportation space,
and q Tremendous increase In the