The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-22
DRY DEMOCRATS
RESENT WILSON
PLEA FOR BEER
South and West Will Not
Uphold Call to Repeal
War Prohibition.
SENATE TO BACK ACT
No Chance of Vets Mastering
Anything Like Majority.
Says Sheppard.

Special Despufch to THr Sun
WASHINGTON. May 21.-Presiden,
wilson has revolt on his hands
among Southern and WESTERN Demo-
Gratis whose States are dry, as a result
OF his recommendation for the repeal
OF war time prohibition. Senator
sheppard (Tex.) expressed the opinion
that the President had been misled as
70 the strength of the demand in this
country FOR a repeal. AS the Sefiate's
foremost sponsor for the prohibition
programme the Senator said:
Il do not know what Senator v,,,
oe brave enough to offer a bill to re-
peal war time prohibition. or one
thing. however. there is absolute cer-
tainty and that is that any attemnt
at repeal will be defeated. There is
no chance of the advocates of repeal
mastering anything like a majority. {"
senator Sheppard suggested that II a
repeal Is to be introduced IL ought 70 he
made by Senator Reed tMo) hecau..
VII 'he SUBJECT When the distincticn n
was rendered to him Senator Reed re-.
iused 1t with characteristic emphasis
ne does not care to father the measure
In further discussing the general sit
uation as to war time prohibition. sena.
tor Sheppard said:
instead of the law being reneaIed N.
senate will pass one to provide for car.
rying out the provisions Of the war time
prohibition legislation enacted NJ ,hs
iast Congress, which goes into effect
July 1.
Two Concessions Granted.
The Senate has made two conces-
sions to President Wilson on war time
prohibition and is in no frame Of mind
to yield further. We exempted wine
and beer when the food law of 1917 was
passed. The President at that time had
appealed to the Anti-Saloon League and
other forces among the prohibition ad-
Nocates to exempt wine and beer. We
yielded also to the President last year
when he asked that war time prohibit
tion be deferred, the President then ask
ing that II be put of for one year. The
Senate agreed upon nine months as the
extreme limit of postponement.
TO my mind the President in his
recommendation for repeal of the war
time dry law was influenced by repre-
sentations made to him in Paris OF wide
spread unrest among labor as to en-
forcement OF the law. These representa-
tions were exaggerated but the Presi-
dent apparently did not realize il. The
only real sentiment against the nation
wide prohibition law becoming opera
tive July l is in New York. Boston.
Philadelphia. Baltimore. St Louis. Gin
cinnati. Milwaukee and San Francisco.
In these cities you find concentrated the
agitation against 1t. But 1t will not
prevail nor influence the Senate.
"As to returning soldiers favoring re-
peal of the prohibition law that is all
propaganda put out by opponents of
prohibition. From all 1 have heard. the
great majority OF returning soldiers are
impressed with the effect of liquor, as
they have witnessed It in London and
Paris. They believe that this nation
would be better of without It. 1t must
be remembered that before the war
three fourths OF the territory OF the
country with half the population had
been voted dry. A great number of
these soldiers come from territory that
was already dry and they are not infiu-
enced by the agitation to keep the rest
OF the nation wet.
Officers OF the Anti-Saloon League
expressed surprise that the President
recommended any sort OF lifting Of the
war time prohibition ban. Conditions
which would justify the repeal of pro-
hibition affecting light wines and beers
have not appeared yet, Wayne B.
Wheeler. general counsel for the organi-
zation. declared.
THE only excuse for such action
would be the certainty of rehabilitation
within a very short time after July /"
he said. Even this does not satisfy
unpa triotic attitude of the brewers dur
ing the war furnished no basis for the
Of leniency or lifting
the ban on beer unless rehabilitation
Is practically an accomplished fact by
July /. The legislative committee Of the
Anti-Saloon League and possibly the
entire executive committee will take ac-
policy will be definitely announced in
reference to IT,"
League to Form Policy.
Edwin C. Dinwiddie. secretary of the
legislative committee OF the organiZa-
tion, added this comment:
"The matter is OF much importance
because OF the large ana influential con-
stituency for which we act and OF the
attitude OF the President that individual
opinion is OF no special value. Our legls-
lative committee will consider the en-
tire proposition from all angles within
the next few days and the actual policy
OF the league will be determined
"I may say. however. that the whole
course OF the liquor trade has distinctly
pretudiced its case through its appeals
and It's efforts to nullify the law and TO
defy Congress and the Constitution.
Congress has not shown an inclina-
ton TO repeal temperance legislation in
the last two decades"