New-York tribune., 1919-07-13
rive ne an opportunity to prove il

give me an opportunity to prove it [
can.
"rhe stomach can hold only two and
Il half to three pints at one time. II
would take gallon of 2~ per cent
beer to have any intoxicating effect.
1--WE have made scientific tests for
many weeks, with total abstainers,
light drinkers and others. We have
had fourteen chemists working on the
problem"
"They would supply your fourteen
points, I suppose" Senator Norris re-
marked.
Mr.. Untermycr also declared that the
ruling that one-half of one per cent
of alcohol makes an intoxicating bev-
erage will greatly endanger the eigh-
teenth amendment"
MIR. Untermyer also made the point
that the courts should define intoxi-
eating liquors, because Congress is now
! lcgislating under the terms of the
eighteenth amendment. Any such leg
isiation, he contended, is subject to re-
view.
Committee Divided
II don't believe any court in the land
will now rule that wartime conditions
hold" he said 'You might just as
we'll prevent the sale Of ice cream as
to say that 2A per cent beer is intoxi-
eating"
1t then developed that the commit
tee was divided on the question of
whether Congress could prohibit the
sale Of non-alcoholic drink in order
to make prohibition effective. Accord
ing to Senator Walsh, Of Montana, the
committee had not yet reached de-
sion on that matter.
"If Congress does not, define the
term Intoxicating liquor the law en-
forcement code VII be useless in maxi
ing the Eighteenth Amendment effec
tice," said Wayne B. Wheeler, general
counsel for the Anti Saloon League,
who was present at the hearing.
When asked if some dry Congress
men were not opposing the bill, Mr..
Wheeler said: at is amusing to class
North Carolina, as radical prohibition
lists. Both of them voted against the
resolution for national prohibition. Mr.
Small has been aggressive against it.
The last hours of general debate in
the House were featured by vigorous
attacks by the vets. The plea to retain
light wines and beer and predictions
that the Volstead bill would cause re-
peated violations of the law prcdomi
mated.
Representative Kahn, of California,
voiced the latter sentiment, declaring
that while liquor is no longer sold in
Washington it is quite as easy to get
liquor there as it ever was.
Opposes Prohibition
~ have always opposed prohibition
legislation for two reasons" he said.
/ First, such legislation holds out to
the people of the world an indictment
of the American people; holds them
30,
not curb their own appetites. l deny
such to be the case.
Second, it is a mistake to say that
prohibitory legislation makes for
obedience to law. 1t leads to lawless-
ness, and it is only q step from viola
tion OF a minor law to more serious
violation"
Representative Houghton, Of New
York, pleaded for light wines and
beer, declaring that Congress can pass
all the laws it wants, but t'can't keep
farmers from squeezing apples.
La Guarda Doubts Enforcement
Representative Robinson, of Ken
lucky, said the brewers were sending
out literature arguing that Christ was
against prohibition.
representative Harding, of Texas,
declared he would oppose the bill be-
cause some of its provisions were un-
constitutional. Representative La Guar
dia, of New York, said the dry leaders
want the bill so strict that it will not
be enforced.
"With the exception of the w. C. T.
o." he said, they don't want to lose
their present jobs"
Toward the close of the debate the
drys came back strong with evidence
to show that since July l crime had
markedly diminished in hitherto wet
cities. Representative Volstead, in
summing up, declared his bill is much
less drastic than that Of many states,
particularly New York, which had led
the opposition to him.