The Mena weekly star., 1919-05-22
WOULD ALLOW BEER AND WINE
President Wilson Asks Congress to Repeal Wartime Prohibition in Part--Declares Labor Must Get
 Its Just Deserts.

 systems and telegraph and teio phone lines will be returned to dte own ership; urged a revision of war taxes, particularly to aDolish the manufac- turers aud retail sales excesses; and cutlined generally a program respect ing labor.
 These were the high spots" of the presidents message cabled from Paris. Besides that he again urged enact ment of the woman suffrage constitu- tional amendment; recommended that the tariff laws be supplied with teeth to protect American industry against foreign attack; spoke for legislation to facilitate American enterprise thru the expansion of shipping and backed Secretary Lanes program for land for returning soldiers.
 Of the Paris peace conference and the League of Nations the president merely said it would be premature to discuss them or to express a judg- ment. He also avoided discussion of domestic legislation at lenyh b,cauge of his long absence from Was ington
 Surprises in Message. Congress heard a unique document; the only one of it's kind ever transmit ted across the ocean from a president on a foreign shore. For the first time in six years it heard a presidential message read by a reading clerk in- stead of assembling to hear the presi- dent deliver an address in person. The recommendation for the repeal of wartime prohibition and for re- turn of the rail and wire systems, while not unexpected by some, con- tained the greatest element of sur prise and provoked the most wide spread comment of the many tasks set before congress by the president.
 In his reference to prohibition, the president did not enter extensively in- to the considerations involved. Demo- bilizatiop, he said merely, "has pro- gressed to such an extent that it seems to me entirely safe now to re- move the ban upon the manufacture and sale of wines and beers" This ban, laid several months ago to take effect July 1, could not be removed, he said, except by enactment.
 Return of Rail and Wire Systems.
 Return of the railroad lines and communication lines was the first de- claration of the administration of it's future policy and greatly surprised many members who had interpreted the developments of the last few months to mean that MT. Wilson even tually would propose some form of government operation. On the con- trary, the directness of the presidents declaration on that point left no doubt that he was thru with any pos sible scheme for permanent reten- ton.
 "The telegraph and telephone lines, !" said the message, Twill of course be returned to their owners as soon as the transfer can. be effected without administrative confusion. The rail- roads will be handed over to their owners at the end of the calendar year"
 In the case of each the president asked for legislation to make easier the readjustmens necessitated by the change.
 In his recommendation for readjust- saant of taxation, the president made it clear that he did not expect a fun damental readjustment of the demo- cratic tariff rates that have been op- erative for the last six years. He asked for tariff changes only to pro- tect special new interests like the dye stuffs industry. Some reductions were recommended in the war time excess profits taxes and the present taxes on retail sales the president thought could be dispensed with entirely.
 Congressional Attitude in Doubt.
 What will be the reply of the re- publican congress to these proposals became at once the topic of discus sion everywhere about the capitol. In returning the railroads, it generally was conceded, the republican leaders will readily give the president their cooperation. But as to prohibition and tariff and internal revenue taxa ton the case was more doubtful.
 The recommendation regarding labor were general, but the president called attention to the need for a partnership between capital and labor and a genuine Characterization of if- dustry."
 On tariff revision the president said the United States should have the means of properly protecting itself when there was danger of discrimina- tion against it by foreign nations.
 To Meet Hostile Legislation.
 "Tho we are as far as possible from desiring to enter upon a course of retaliation he said, i've must frank ly face the fact that hostile legisla- tion by other nations is not beyond the range of possibilities and that it may have to be met by counter legis- lation.
 "Altho the United States will glad ly and unhesitatingly join in the pro- gram of international disarmament, it will nevertheless be policy of obvi- ous prudence to make certain of the successful maintenance of many strong and we'll equipped chemical plants"