The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1919-10-15
PROHIBITION SOON
TO BE IN EFFECT
MEASURE FOR IT'S ENFOR.
CEMENT SOON TO BE-
CONE LAW.
OFFICERS ARE RUSY
Nation Wide Campaign to Sc
cure Enforcement of New
Law-No , 81 Per Ct.
Beer.


Washington. Oct Enactment
of the prohibition enforcement bill
was completed today by Congress-
with the House adopting the Confer.
ence report, already agreed to by the
Senate, and sending the measure 10
the President for approval.
Preceding the House approval of
the report by a vote Of 32l 20 70. vain
effort was made to send it back to
conference with instruction 10 elimi-
nate a certain section. permitting
state authorities to issue search war
rants.
Conference on the motion Of Rep
resentative Igoe, Of Missouri. who
protested against state officers en-
forcing federal law through their au-
thority to issue search warrants and
complained that similar provision had
been .serwhelminPly defeated in the
llo.te.
Opposing Ir. Igoe's argument Rep
resentative Webb, Democrat, Of N.
c., said that the House dsapproval Of
the provision was, due to the false i'm
preston that state Officers would be
given the power Of arrest as well as
search. The House voted down the
lgoe motion, 2l5 to 80.
Beyond this final attempt the
vets contented themselves by voicing
complaint against the measure as
"un-American" and accusing the
House conferees Of exceeding their
authority by accepting some Senate
amendments to the measure.
Complete eongr sssional approval
of the bill means that the days OF 2
3-4 per cent beers are numbered. The
bill becomes effective as soon as
it is signed by President Wilson, or
within ten days should his illness
prevent his acting upon it.. Stimuli
taneous with the presidents signature
the wartime enforcement section be-
comes effective. This section as
we'll as the constitutional enforce
ment portion prohibits manufacture
or sale Of any liquor containing more
than one-half of one per cent Of alco-
hol
Commissioner Daniel Roper Of the
Internal Revenue Department. is to-
night awaiting the signal from Pres
ident Wilson to open a natisn wide
campaign to jam down the war pro-
hibition lid.
Roper let it be known today that
the machinery is all ready and will
be put into motion as soon as the
president signs the prohibition en-
forcement bill, which is now tech
nically before him.
This is taken to mean that Roper
will have his forces in the field in
every state some time next week. The
bill will probably be delivered to the
White House Monday. Then the
White House will send il to Attorney
General Palmer for a scrutiny as to
its constitutionally That should get
the bill back to the president by We'd
nesday or Thursday. If the presi-
dent should find himself too sick to
sign the bill, it automatically be-
comes a law in ten days.
Wholesale arrests Of bootleggers
are expected to be made during the
first few weeks after Roper throws
his forces into the field.
Although Roper today was silent
as to his plans for the fight, it was
indicated that he viii wage it by
states through a greatly enlarged
force Of detectives and bureau agents
and special Investigators.
Internal revenue collectors in every
section Of the country win work under
the direction Of a Federal prohibition
official assigned to each state.
The enforcement bill defines pro-
hibited intoxicating beverages as
those containing more than one-haf
Of one per cent alcohol. This re-
moves all doubt that the sale of 2.75
beer is illegal, Officials said today.
Under the law the internal reve-
nue. bureau viii be responsible only
for gathering the evidence Of viola
tions Of the law. Prosecutions will
be started and carried through by
the Department Of Justice.