Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-03-05
WHAT IS BOOz
IS GREAT QUESTION
prbhibisiorists Refuse TO Com
promise While Brewery Inter
ests Seek Small Per Cent
DISCOVER cAMoUPLAGE

one 81 the principal questions con-
fronting tho prohibition forces n the
United States, and one which has
great bearing on the enforcement, not
only 81 wartime prohibition but also
81 the prohibition amendment. Il wtat
sxactly constitutes intoxicating bey-
srages. In other words the point TO
Determine IL how much alcohol dis
tllled and malt liquor must contain
before ii can be banned under the
statute. Prohihitionists have 50 far
rafussd to compromise, and insisted
that any percentage Of alcohol. how
ever small. constitutes alcoholic Id
nor. and is therefore banned under the
bone-ory law
Brewing interests have made an I'M
successful attempt to have the en-
sUrcement btlla pending before the
senate end the house Of representa-
tiyes so amended as to permit the
manufacture and sale OF beer and
vine containing as much as Two per
cont Of alcohol. This maneuyer, i
successful. would. 1t Is declared, have
merely resulted IN the absolute null
siiscatiou OF the prohibition law Once
two per cent alcohol was permitted,
II IL aid, there would be every oppor-
tunity for every sort OF camouaage,
and that three and four per cent would
inevitably follow two per cent.
Amendment II Adopted
Tie House judiciary committee,
which Ii conducting hearings on the
narkley Enforcement bill, adopted aEi
amendment which stipuiatea that 9
beverage containing more than one
half Of one per cent Of alcohol shall
Be deemed as intoxicating and there
for0 within the scope of the wartime
prohibition and Of the prohibition
amendment. This amendment reads:
THAT intoxicating liquors defined In
this act shall include oil distilled Of
fermented Or brewed liquors when the
alcoholic content Is IN excess OF one
half OF one per cent.
Proposed amendments fixing the
content at two, one and one-half or one
ns.rl cent were successfully defeated.
and the one permitting one-half Of one
Der cent Is strongly disapproyed Of by
the supporters OF prohibI tion. who
would ban alcohol III every share and
form and however small the content
This Ii the attitude OF the Anti-saloon
League Of America.
iii executive session the committee
rsguaed to adopt an amendment Of
aered by Charles r Randall, member
90 the house Of representatives from
California, emhodying the viea Of the
great majority of prohibition adyo-
Gates This amendment. though not
accepted BY the committee, will doubt
Less Be offered on the floor when the
Barklcy bill comes before the house.
IT reads: s.That whenever the term in
toxlcatIng or alcoholic liquor appears
ia the statutes OF the United States or
n any statute enacted by territory.
district or island possession of.tha Uni
ted states prohibiting the sale Of In
eoxicattng or alcoholic liquors or bev-
erages, 1t shall be construed to include
al liquors containing alcohol IN any
degree whatever. Z
Status 81 Stored Liquor
The status on stored liquor and what
power the federal government shall
have over 1T ID occupying the atten
tion Of those who are framing the en-
sorcement code. Under the argument
of the inyiolable right Of property, Il
Is contanded that the public has no
search power except III cases where
there Ii prlma facie evidence that the
LIQUOR stored Is used for purposes of
sale. Thus the Washington authori-
ties are faced with the problem Of
what powcr they hare OF coniiscating
the large amount Of liquor stored there
IN anticipation OF the signing by the
presldeut Of the revenue bill. which
carries with 1t the Reed bone-dry
amendment Of the District
Under the terms OF the enforce
rent Law proposed by the secretary
of the treasury and embodied In the
Darkley bin, liquor kept In hotels.
restaurants and public eating houses
Tan be seized, while. apparently, lie
nor stored IN private homes has ALI
the protection of property rights,