New-York tribune., 1919-09-06
Senate Passes
Bill to Enforce
Prohibition Act
Measure Is Amended to
Include Application of
Liquor and Drug Law
to Panama Canal Zone

WASHINGTON. Sept. 5-The pro-
hibition enforcement bill was passed
by the Senate to-day without
record vote and virtually in the form
1t came from the committee. The
measure now goes to conference for
discussion of amendments inserted in
the House bill by the Senate.
The only material change made in
the bill in the Senate, was the add-
ton by amendment of the liquor and
drug prohibition, act for the Panama
Canal zone. This measure has not
yet been acted on by the House.
An eleventh hour attempt by Sena-
tor Shields, Democrat. Tennessee. to
render Ineffective the whole section
OF the measure relating to enforce
pent of wartime prohibition failed,
his own vote being the only one cast
in ia. or of it. His amendment would
have limited the operation of the war
time law to the six states in which
demoblllzatlon camps are situated.
Now Goes to Conference
AS it passed the Senate and goes to
conference the bill defines as an in
toxicant any beverage containing more
L..
The Senate modified, however. some Of
the most rigid provisions of the House
bill, including that affecting private
stocks of alcoholic beverages held for
personal use.
Passage of the bill by the Senate
was in striking contrast to it's troub-
lous voyage through the House. No
serious effort to alter it's terms was
made except the attempt by Senator
Shields. The Tennessee Senator con-
tended that since rehabilitation was
fln fact almost completed, this section
of the act applied only to New York
demobilization camps were situated
was dry" by state statute. He as
serted that laws forbiddng sale of
lntoxicants to men in uniform and
fixing dry zones about military camps
and posts fully protected soldiers.
Senator Wadsworth said only 8 per
cent of the army remained to be de-
modified and that passage Of war
time enforcement act offered the Curl
Gus spectacle of providing for carry
ing out a law that was about to die
He brought out the fact that the power
OF the President to render this section
ineffective whenever peace was declared
by means of a proclamation terminal
ing the rehabilitation period was not
changed and said:
Expects Early Expiration
"If events transpirc as we assume
they will transpire, this act will expire
in two months or six weeks"
Does the Senator mean," asked Ser
ator Pomerene, Democrat, Of Ohio.
chat the treaty will be ratified in two
months ?"
~ said nothing about ratification"
Senator Wadsworth replied.
Senator Shields declared Congress
was acting "under false pretences" in
fixing the enforcement regulations on
of rehabilitation necessity and deny
ing men with money invested in the
prescribed industry a fuller opportu-
nifty to adjust their affairs. Senator
Walsh, Democrat, Montana, replied
that Congress had made the act apply
to all Of the country, regardless of the
progress of rehabilitation, until that
process should be completed, and the
enforcement measure could only follow
that policy.
An attempt was made by Senator
Norris, Republican, of Nebraska, to
amend the bill so that violation of
regulations promulgated under its au-
thority would not have the same force
as violation of the law itself. This pro-
voked considerable discussion, but the
proposal found few supporters on the
vote.
Without a rollcall the Senate re-
fused to amend the bill so as to make
it mandatory on the courts to impose
Jail sentences as we'll as fines on con-
victed violators. The proposal was
offered by Senator Curtis, Republican,
of Kansas, who declared the expert
ence of prohibition states showed that
only under mandatory Jail sentences
could the small dealers be driven out
of the liquor business.