New-York tribune., 1919-06-07
Sheppard Statute
Called Miquifous
1nti Prohibition Protest
to Congress Against Dry
Enforcement July I
NeW York Trlbuns
WGsh, h,ioton Bureau

NeW ] Orh IrlbNns
Washington Btlyeau
WASHINGTON, June GA protest
against the enforcement. of national
wartime prohibition was received by
members of Congress, including mem
ecrs of the Judiciary Committee Of the
House. this morning from the Associa-
ton Opposed to National rohbition.
an organization with Headquarters in
New York, said to have membership
of over 100000. The letter of protest
IS signed by three New York bankers
Joseph w. Hartman, president Of the
Hartman National Bank; Arthur Cop
pell, Of Maitland, Coppell & Co., and
Laurence Mcclure. president Of the
United States Realty and Improvement
Company, and by James Arthur 1eavey,
managing director of the association.
The protest is made on the ground
that there is no reason for making the
United States "bone dry" before Janu-
airy !, thereby dcprivng the liouor
interests of an opportunity Of dispos-
ing OF their stock and throwing
100000 men out Of employment coin
cldent with the dcmobilization.
1T would seem to US" the protest
reads, land we think it must seem to
YOU, to be the worst possible scheme
of national economies to thus unncccs-
sarily add hundreds of thousands of
men to the hundreds Of thousands al
ready out of work. Grave dangers
threaten our natona! life It is not
too much even to say that the very
foundations of this republic are threat
cncd
"Iniuuitous Measure"
"You arc q member of the Sixty
sixth Congress, representative of part
Of lo0,000,o00 OF the free citizens of
free republic. The Association On
posed to National Prohibition repre-
scnts more than 100000 Of your fcl-
low citizens, some OF them, perhaps,
your own constituents, because they
IND their homes in every state. terri
tory and foreign possession of the re-
public. We represent this number of
your fellow citizens. because they have
asked us 10 voice their stern protest
against the abridgcmcnt Of their con-
sttutlonal liberties by constitutional
amendment. and because thew have
asked us to demand from you the re-
peal OF so-ca!led wartime prohibition
as an lninuitous. abhorrent and UNI
American measure. the necessity for
which no longer exists
con July I. unless executive or ler
'siatlve action prevents. the country
will become bone dry under the Shep-
pard act. That amendment, among
other things, provides:
After June 80, 1918, until the
conclusion Of the present war. and
thereafter until the termination of
ilization, the date of which
shall be determined and proclaimed
by the President OF the United
States, for the purpose of conscrv-
ing the man. power OF the nation and
to increase the efficiency in the pro-
ductlon in arms and munitions, ships,
food and clothing for The army and
navy. it shall be unlawful to sell for
beverage purposes any distilled
spirits
THE President of the United States
declared. after the signing of the
armistlce, that the war thus comes to
an end The necessity for the Food
and Fuei Administrations has ceased
munltion factories have turned TO
peace industries, the clothing needs of
the army and navy have become nor
NAL. AS for the need OF conservation
OF man power, the vital problem of the
hour is employment for the hundreds
OF thousands of mon, returning sol.
idlers and others, who are unwilllnp
conscrlpts in the legions of unem-
ployment. The army is being de-
modified as rapidly az ships can be
provided to bring back our soldiers
from Europe. The war thus comes 70
an end
Means Many Idle Men
Therefore, there is absolutely no rca
aon Tor the Sheppard amendment be
coming operative. If this measure
we're proposed to tho Sixty-sixth Con-