Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-06
HOOVER EDICT
ON BREWERIES
ROUSES "DRYS''
"Unthinkable," Says Origi-
. nator of Move to Have Pres
ident Issue Manifesto

Washington, June 6.-Herbert C.
Hoover. United States Food Adminis-
traitor, in a letter written yesterday
TO Senator Norris Sheppard. of Tex
as, and in a public statement, while
advocating national prohibition, re-
fused to make the Food Administra-
ton the agency for prohibiting the
brewing OF beer and stated that
such action would result in an orgy
of drunkenness"
Mr.. Hoover's statement made after
conference at the White House,
followed the line taken by President
Wilson in his communication to the
Senate.
The position taken by the Food
Administration was thpt the prohi-
bition of the use of grains for brew
ing purposes would cause exhaustion
of the available supply of beer with
i'll short time and result in much
greater dissipation through the add
ed consumption of whisky, brandy
and gin, of which the country still
has two years supply.
Relative to the discussion over the
suppression of the brewery" said Mr..
Hoover. "I wish to say emphatically
IL
point of view I should like to see
the use of foodstuffs suppressed in
all drinks. hard and soft. This is
not, however, the whole story. If we
stop brewing. the saloons of the
country will still be open, but con-
fined practically to whisky and gin
basis. Any true advocate of temper
ance and of national efficiency in
these times will shrink from this
situation.
Puts Responsibility on People
IF the American people want pro-
hlbition. it should prohibit by legis-
lation to that end and not force the
Food Administration to the respon-
sibility for an orgy of drunkenness.
IT is mighty difficult to get drunk
on 2% per cent. beer; it will be easy
enough if we force a substitution of
distilled drinks for it,
The Food Administration has gone
as far as it can toward temperance
without precipitating Il worse situa-
tion. If the American people or Con-
Gress will stop the sale of distilled
liquors, the Administration will find
no difficulty in stopping brewing"
House VIII Resist
That the House will not give up
the fight so easily was made equally
evident by Representative Charles
IL. Randall. of California, originator
of the amendment.
mo matter what the Senate does
with the bill, the conferees will be
instructed to include either the orig
inal amendment or one with the
same force when the bill is returned
to the House." Mr.. Randall said.
"A record vote will be taken on the
matter"
Later in the House he asserted
that opposition to the amendment
was developed by the brewing inter
ests and added that the discovery of
whisky and beer bottles in the Con-
gressional office building recently
was the result of plant"
In an interview Mr.. Randall de-
AIRED it "unthinkable" that Mr.
Hoover should have made the state
ent that the amount of grain used
the manufacture of beer is neg
: ',ille''
If he did make such a statement.
: viii surely hear from the coun-
h g." Mr.. Randall said IF that is
:.'. then the bread which he has
:"kcd the housewives of the country
save also is negligible. 1t is un-
thirkable that Hoover. who is the
high priest of saving and has re-
peatedly asked that the thinnest slice
of bread and the thinnest slice of ba-
con should be saved, can have made
such a statement"
"TnnEie beyond Solution"
Mr.. Randall exhibited a letter writ
ten by Herbert Hoover on January
OF this year in which he said with
regard to the possibility that the
country would be put on a whisky
basis should the manufacture of beer
he prevented, IL will confess that in
this latter matter / have received
much argument pro and con. but it
appears to me to be a tangle beyond
solution by the Food Administra
ton"
No more whisky can be made, and
LCInc IN STOMACH