Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-16
Keeping Us Dry
By Frederic ]. Haskfn

Washington, y. C., Dec. 16.-With an
administrative force Of 300 individuals
and an appropriation Of $1,000 600, how
s the Bureau Of internal Revenue going
tn enforce the prohibition law upon n
population ni more than n hundred
million7
That is a question which has been asked
before. Tho Bu eau Of Internal Revenue
is now preparing To try to answer u by
demonstration. II is organizing its forces
and drifting its regulations for the work
of making nation dry,wh ich VIII begin
on the sixteenth OF January
The Internal Revenue officials do not
try TO minimize their task. They know
that success in enforcing the prohibition
law il dependent upon the corporation ot
local officials, and, in the last analysis,
upon the support Of public opinion.
That is the view taken by Daniel e.
Roner. who is nj the head of tins greatest
of all police Jobs. lie takes the view that
the question whether or not You favor
prohibition il now n dead issuc. Pro
hihition in here or will be in tess than
month and it is here 10 stay until the
constitution IS again amended fhcre-
fore IL ia the duty Of all law-ahlding men
to lend prohibition their support, re-
gardless of whether they werc lliv-wbit"S
or distilers before prohibition became a
law Ind upon thia support, inspired
by A srnsc of duty and loyalty To American
princip es Of government, the enforcement
of prob bition is absolutely dependent.
There has been organized III the Bureau
of Internal Revenue mn administrative
agency for the enforcement of prohibition,
whose activitlcs will reach all parts oi the
4 - g..azsF In
cach STATE there viii he n Federal pro-
hIhltiorl director The country has been
divided into ton units in charge Of which
will be ae many Federal supervising pro-
hibition agents. Under these officers
will he n force of federal officers for the
enforcement of the law Successful ad-
ujnlstration, however. Commissioner Ro-
ner admits, will depend largely upon
fhc manner IN which other than Federal
agr,ncica meet the sltuatlon In all
communities. local officers arr expected
Ia take the initiative This means that
IN every State, city, town and hafniet
~ tho Tinitcd Stnfas Fnavurs, district
attorneys. sheriffa and poicemen arc
called upon to DO thor fall share y the
enforcement of tho prohibition iaw
Not to do 80 will result IN such action by
Federal authorities. and II IS their prIr-
nose 10 bring to the attention Of the law
abiding citizens tho failure of local
authorities to assume responsibility Tor
prohibition enforcement
By addresses, by appeals, u civic and
moral organizations, bv informative ma
teriaI sent IN every paper IN tho country
and Fy actpal physical DEMONSTRATION how
4 man who vlnlatrs tho prohibition laws
can fe made swiftly to feel It's penalties,
the Bnreau of Internal Revenue is i'm
pressing upon the American people IL
earnest purpoec thoroughly 70 enforce
the law
DosfT POOR. YOURSELF
The Internal Revenue officers are not
gong To have time IN bother about the
,ncn Who make their own Is statement
frequently hrard bit the Bureau nf
Internal Revenue denies II Recently
there w.rc arrested members IF a concern
advertising and selling formulas for max
iug Intoxicating LIQUOR in the home. Tnev
Yere held under the sectIon Of the criminal
code which provides a penalty IF not
mere than $4,000 or imprisonment for
one wear or both. for conspira " 70
def-aud the United states Government.
The prohibition act forbids the mann
IN tlre al distilled. malt or vinous
liquors until the on fusion of the
prcsen. var and thereafter until the
termination of GENERALIZATION. Persons
mangfa turing IN their homes FOR private