Bisbee daily review., 1918-06-06
HOOVER OPPOSES PROHIBITION MEN
CRv Review Leased Wlrel

WASHINGTON, June O.-AOmlnlS- tration opposition to any attempt to stop the manufacture of beer and wine as long as the sale Of whisky is per mitted, was made certain today with the announcement that Food Adminis- trator Hoover opposed such a step be- cause he believed the evils attendant upon putting the nation on a whisky. brandy and gin" basis would far out weight the small food savings that would result.
 President Wilson already had stated in a letter to Senator Sheppard of Texas, prohibition champion and dem ocratic member of the agricultural committee, that he would not use his stuffs in beer and wine unless MT. Hoover recommended such a step necessary to the feeding of this coun- try and the allies.
 Threatens Retaliation After the position of the president and the food administration had been made known, Senator Sheppard and others. said the senate would strike from the $11 100000 emergency agri- ul. hibiting the use of some Ss,O00,O 900 car ried by the measure, unless manufac- ture of wine and beer was stopped by the president Senator Smith of South Carolina, chairman of the agricultural committee, upon his return to Wash ington tonight said he was inclined to oppose the amendment because a very small proportion of grain is be- ing used in the production of alcoholic liquors sinca the distilling of whiskev was stopped last September. Senator Smith said efforts would be made to have his committee take up the bill without delay.
 Ar. Hoover explained his position in a statement made public tonight along with his letter to Senator Sheppard. He said that if the American people want prohibition it should prohibit by legislation to that end and not force the food administration to take the re sponsibility for an orgy of drunkeness.'
 "As to the discussion over the SUD- pression of brewing" said MT. Hoover's statement supplementing his letter to Senator Sheppard. 'I wish to say emphatically that from a strictly food conservation point of view. should like to see the use of foodstuffs suppressed in all drinks, hard and soft
 Many Drastic Actions
 This is not, however, the whole story We stopped distilling a year ago. There is a long supply of whis- ky. gin and other 20 to 40 per cent distilled drinks in the country. We have reduced the consumption of food stuffs in brewing by 30 per cent and red i'ed the alcoholic content of beer to 2 3-4 per cent. If we stop brewing. the saloons of the country will still hr onen but confined practically to a whisky and gin basis. Any true advo- cate of temperance and of national ef ficiency in these times will shrink rom this situation, for the national denger in it is greater than the use of the breweries.
 If the American people want pro- hibition it should prohibit by legisla- ton to that end and not force the fcod administration to the responsi- bility for an orgy of drunkenness. It is mighty difficult to get drunk on 3-4 beer, it will be easy enough if we force a substution of distilled drinks for it.
 "The food administration has gone as far as it can towards temperance without precipitating a worse situa- tion. If the American people or cong ress will stop the sale of distilled liquors. the administration will find no difficulty in stopping brewing"
 Tn his letter to Senator Sheppard, Mir Hoover said no effort had been made to exercise the authority under the food control act to prohibit the manufacture of wine because the wines produced in this country are from grapes of which a very small ! proportion are available as table or raisin grapes and therefore the stop | mage of wine making would add no con | se1uent amount of food to our national ] supplies. The conversion of grapes to | grape iuice instead of wine. as sug ! rested would add nothing to our na- ! tional food supplies"