The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-06-30
LAST STAND OF
KING ALCOHOL
Battered and Bruised, John
BarIeycorn Will Not Give
Up Without Struggle.
PLANS WET CELEBRATION
Then Just Think of the Morn
ing After and That Last
Dark Brown Taste.

Washington, June 30.--That j..
Barleycorn, battered and bruised, viii
not give up the ghost without
struggle was evident from the situa-
tion on the eve of waftime prohibi-
tion becoming effective. With no en-
forcement code yet having been en-
acted, and with the president hav-
ing plainly indicated he wodld SET
aside the wartime ban had he the
authority, just how dry the coun-
try will be tomorrow could be made
only a matter for conjecture today
The enforcement code reported out
by the house judiciary committee
cannot be passed within two weeks,
it was believed, and will be enacted
only after what promises to be
bitter fight. Some of the provisions
of the act are regarded by the "wets"
as too drastic and these will be OPP
posed on the floor. On the other
hand "dry" members let 1t be known
they favored measure even more
rigid, and that they would fight to
have eliminated that provision under
which liquor could be stored in pri-
vate homes. The, house was sched-
uled to start holiday recess either
tonight or tomorrow, and the remain
ing sessions were to be devoted TO
other pending legislation. Therefore
it was unlikely that the measure
could be taken up before. the middle
of next week. @
i Representative Randall. Of Califor-
MIA, prohibitionist, viii attempt to
bridge the gap between the date of
the presidents proclamation and the
effective date of national prohibition
next January, he announced today.
Flood Of Whisky.
"The effect of the presidents an
nouncement is that he will by proc
lamation place the country on
whisky drinking basis" he said to-
day. when he lifts the ban it will
pour out a flood of 70,000,000 gall
Ions of whisky now held in bond by
the war prohibition act. That act
does not relate to beer and wine
alone and the president cannot dis
criminate in his proclamation. with
a million men yet to demobilize, un-
der no circumstances could his proc
lamation be issued before Oct. !. The
country will be thrown into a whis-
ky drinking orgy, and surely the
president does not desire that. / will
introduce in the house an emergency
peace measure to prohibit removal
from bond or transportation in inter-
state commerce any distilled spirits
for beverage purposes between the
date of the presidents proclamation
and the effective date of national
prohibition Jan. 16."
-. Propose to Speculate.
War department officials refused to
speculate today upon the date when
it will be possible to say the army
has been demobilized. The makeup
of the army with its drafted men, ma
tional guardsmen and regulars, to-
gether with volunteers for "the dur
alton of the emergency" and for
various periods, is so complicated
that it was said the question as to
when rehabilitation had been termi-
mated probably would have to be de-
cided by legal experts. 1t was ex-
pected that the point would be ruled
on by the attorney generals office.
Meanwhile, swith the enforcement
code not yet enacted, the anti-saloon
league contended that the original
act carried sufficient provisions for
its enforcement in the interim.
IF the liquor men violate the war
prohibition act, they do so at their
own peril" was the warning issued
by DIR. Z. c. Dinwiddie, legislative
superintendent of the league.
The league will seek to have the
enforcement code made more drastic
by the amendment of the provision
allowing liquor to be stored in homes
was revealed today in statement
by Wayne B. Wheeler, general coun-
sci of the league.
"The proposed provision for an un-
limited amount of liquor to be per-
manently stored in the home is un-
wise" he declared "It,will turn many
homes into speak -easies, because the
home is exempted from the search
and seizure clause entirely, unless 1t
Is part of a store or boarding house.
The proposed code does not authorize
the search of house, even IL 1t Is
proven that liquor is sold therein.
"This provision should be changed
so as to limit the amount Of liquor
possessed or the time of its posses
sion."
Prepares for War.
The department of justice was
making preparations today. 1t was
learned, to prosecute all direct vio-
lations of the wartime law reported
from tomorrow until the enforcement
code is enacted, under the provisions
of the original act. By direct vio-
lations, IL was explained, was meant
the sale of spirituous and vinuous
liquors. 1t was understood that the
department would not be so quick to
act in cases involving the sale of beer,
and will be satisfied to wait until the
status of brewed beverages has been
determined by the test cases that now
are before the courts