The Washington times., 1919-12-05

not have time to prepare return
blanks.
Secretary McAdoo, of the
Treasury, told Commissioner Ro-
per that he must redeem S1,000,-
10000 of outstanding Treasury
certificates falling due March Is,
nineteen days after the law be-
came effective.
"1've got to have the money to
protect the credit of the United
States," McAdoo told Roper.
You'll get it." was the an
swer.
There was not time to inter-
pret. the new law, make regula-
tions or get out form blanks.
Roper appealed to the newspa-
pers to help him, laying before
the taxpayers the request that
each citizen estimate what his in
come taxes would probably be
and pay in one-fourth of the es-
innate.
Collected Over One Billion.
"The cooperation of the news
papers and the public was so
thorough that in those nineteen
. days we collected not only the bill
lion dollars, but one hundred mil
lion dollars over" declared Mr..
Roper, in talking to me about the
matter.
"Such appeals to the patriotism
and conscience Of the public are
fundamental in the administration
Of our laws, and l am pursuing
the same line in the enforcement
of wartime prohibition" went on
the commissioner. THE American
citizen has profound respect for
law and order, and even where
large numbers of them do not be-
heve in a law they refuse to give
any encouragement to its viola
ton"
Prohibition Enforcement.
The underlying principle of Mr..
Roper's enforcement of wartime
prohibition is the building of
healthy public sentiment" through
all available agencies The huge
organization about completed for
national prohibition has instruc-
tions to deal frankly and frequent
ly with newspaper and other pub
ications in matters of fact and
propaganda favorable to the en-
forcement of the law; the creation
of a healthy public sentiment"
not only through all publications,
but through all religious, social,
fraternal and civic bodies; the
stimulation of all Iaw-enacting
agencies of the States and subdi-
visions of States.
The State directors of prohibi-
ton enforcement are minutely in
structed to get in touch with edit
ors, reporters and the publication
fraternit. generally, in addition to
building up close relations with
all organizations that favor pro-
hibition-
"No law can we'll be enforced
that is not observed by the
people, and the people Will observe
laws if appealed to in the proper
way" is a motto that means some
thing in the Internal Revenue Bu-
reau.
Is Never Caught In a Jana.
This wonderful administrator
and organizer is never "caught in
jam" Difficulties numerous and
troublesome have loomed before
him in the last two years. His
subordinates have som e m 8
weakened in the face of these
things, but he has always found
a way out and these ways were
practicable and sensible. They
were sometimes crude; emergen-
cies made them so, but they were
worked out In detail as quickly as
possible.
The Commissioner is not one Of
those who works at his office all
day and far into the night. He is
at his desk at 9 o'clock in the
morning, when the clerks arrive,
and he goes to his home about $50
or 6 o'clock in the evening.
oos SAioS Ac OOc6 COuSlQGI6Dlc
pondering at his home is realized
by his stenographers when he
shows up the next morning with
wealth Of energetic thought.
You can imagine this busy man
eonferring with his lieutenants,
debating letters, signing papers,
giving advice and instruction, see
ing Senators and Congressman re-
garding political jobs at his dis
posal But with all that the door
Of his office is open to callers
throughout the day.
Tells Good Stories.
The lines Of his face show deep
thinking and earnestness. They
give little indication Of the fact
that he is highly amiable and one
of the best story-tellers in Wash
ington- Statesmen visit him often
that they may hear a new story.
Daniel Roper is from South
Carolina His rise in Washington
has been swift. He was first con-
nected with the Census Bureau,
where he developed a fondness for