New-York tribune., 1919-10-28
If Senate Refuses to
Take Up Measure To-
day Drys Plan to Force
1t Through Tomorrow
Army Demobilized,
Veto Message Says
''War Emergency Salts
fled, Policy Makes
Clear Reason for Re-
peal,'' President Asserts
By Carter ieId
Neto York Tribune
Washington Bureau

Ne,c York Tribune
Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Oct. 27-Thc prohi-
bition enforcement bill, although We
toed by President Wilson late to-day,
will probably become law through being
passed over his veto within forty-eight
hours.
Within three hours of the veto mes
sage reaching the House of Represent
tatives that body had repassed the bill
by vote of 176 to 55, or more than
three to one, instead OF the two to-one
required by the Constitution to pass 4
measure over an executive veto
Efforts to bring up the bill immedi-
ately will be made in the Senate TO-
morrow by Senator Sterling, who rep
resented the judiciary Committee and
had charge of the bill when it origin
ally passed. If unanimous consent Is
refused, it viii be necessary for the
"drys" to break up the executive scs-
sion which is considering the peace
treaty by forcing an adjournment
Then on the following day the prohibi-
tion enforcement bin can be taken up
and passed, if there is no oratory to
delay matters.
Little Discussion Is Expected
Prospects are there will be little DIS
cussion. Senator Hitchcock, while he
seemed to believe there would be con-
siderable opposition to passing a bill
over the Presidents veto, said there
would be little time for its considera-
ton. This represents how one group
of "wets" feel about it. On the other
hand, Senator Underwood, who has
been one of the wet" leaders ever
since prohibition has been an issue,
took the view there was no point in
holding up a law providing for the
enforcement of an act already on the
books.
'If the law is>en the books it should
be enforced,' he said.
The only effect of the veto, so far az
can be discovered tonight, is that in
New York and some other places where
the selling Of 2@4 per cent beer was to
have been suspended at midnight to-
night, selling may continue at the same
risk as previously until the Senate has
passed the bill over the veto. So that
forty eight more hours of selling is the
prospect.
Veto Surprises Congress
This is based on the comment Of
Attorney General Palmer sent out to
newspaper men who wanted to know
the effect Of the veto. He sent out
word that TIE situation would not be
changed by the veto, except that 2.75
beer could be sold in places where the
courts had held it 20 be legal.
The Presidents veto was one of the
greatest surprises he has given Con-
gress for long time. The reasons
for his veto caused even more surprise
than the act of rejecting the bill when
members had chance to read the
message.
The President virtually took the po-
~'~'N'' N'tsS '.' NosHDiilliS NaT u me en-
forccment with enforcement Of the
constitutional amendment Congress was
attempting TO enforce an act-war-
time hibition---of which he did not
approve and which he had recon-
mended should be repealed. He ig-
nored the fact that Congress had re
jected his recommendation for the re-
peal Of wartime prohibition by an
overwh Ginning vote in the House and
by vote OF 55 10 II Give to one) in
the Senate.
Prospects for "wet Christmas" are
as much Up in The air as ever No ore
IS sure whether the ratification Of the
peace treaty will be Immediately fol-
lowed by peace proclamation by the
President, which would be followed by
lifting of wartime prohibition. or
whether it must wait until the t tssaty
with Austria is ratified. The F.s,si
dents comments Indicated to most 'peo