New-York tribune., 1919-06-27
Quick Enforcement Van.
ishes When Wartime
and Constitutional Acts
Are Put in Same Bill
Drastic Measure Avoided
Passage May Be Deferred
Until President Declares
Demobilization Complete
New York Tribune
Wdshin0ton Bureau

WASHINGTON, June 26.-Congres-
sional drys to-day frankly abandoned
all idea that wartime prohibition,
scheduled to 60 into effect one minute
after 12 next Monday night, can be lit
orally enforced.
An opportunity to insure its early
enforcement by speeding a separate bill
for that purpose through Congress be-
fore July was deliberately sacrificed
by the drys.
The decision was made by the dry
majority of the House Judiciary Com
mittee when that committee voted 10
to against detaching wartime from
the constitutional prohibition enforce
ment legislation.
The choice before the drys was:
Ito seek quick and rigid enforce
ment of wartime prohibition, the risk
of a severe reaction against all prohi-
bition, or
2-To countenance fairly lax war
prohibition enforcement, thus eliminat-
ing the danger of compelling protest
before drastic provisions for making
the Eighteenth Amendment effective
could be enacted.
Long Delay Now Possible
The drys chose what seemed to them
the lesser evil. AS a result of their de-
cison, all prohibition enforcement leg
islation will be included in one bill, in
the face Of the probability that it's final
passage will be delayed until long after
war time prohibition has gone into ef-
feet.
One big concession was made to the
vets when the Judiciary Committee ac-
cepted the Gard bill fer enforcing war
time prohibition and decided by vote
Of 10 to 8 to separate wartime and
constitutional enforcement provisions
in the all-inclusive enforcement bill.
The Gard bill, approved by the Ju-
dietary Committee at the last session,
will appear as Title l of the omnibus
bill.
Eliminating all reference to wartime
prohibition and retaining all provisions
for constitutional enforcement, the bill
drawn by the Judiciary Committee this
season will appear as Title IL Of the
new bill. Under Title III the bill will
carry the legislation recommended by
the Internal Revenue Bureau for the
trial alcohol.
More Delay for Funds
No special machinery for the en-
! forcement of war prohibition will have
been provided by July /. Even when
special machinery is provided by the
passage of the omnibus enforcement
bill it cannot be immed lately set in
motion, for separate bill must be put
through Congress appropriating funds
for this purpose before special work
can be started.
1t is not now expected that President
Wilson will declare demobilization ter
minated, thus cancelling wartime pro-
hibition, before July l. Congressional
drys believe, however, that it is man.
datory upon the President to issue such
in fact completed. They expect this
proclamation before August /.
Delay in passing the enforcement act
and further delay in making appropria-
tions for carrying it out might create
a situation in which war prohibition
would be terminated by Presidential
proclamation before the machinery for
| literal enforcement of the act is set in
motion.
May Banish "Wet Interim"
There is, however, another complica-
ton. Representative Randall, of Cali
fornia, prohibitionist,' has announced
that he will offer an amendment to the
enforcement legislation on the floor,
prompting manufacture, tranSpOrta-
tion in interstate commerce, removal
from bond, expectation and importation
of all beverages containing more than
half of / per cent of alcohol by
volume. Such an amendment, If Of
fcred, is fairly certain of acceptance
by both houses. This would, in effect,
continue prohibition and remove all
possibility of an intervening wet spell
by grace of Presidential action before
constitutional prohibition goes into
effect
The situation is further complicated
by the announcement of Repre- esenta-
tive Gard to-day that he will offer an
amendment to the enforcement bill. on
the floor to give the President specific
authority to remove the ban on beer
and wine pending the arrival of COM
petc prohibition on January 16. 1920.
This amendment was rejected when
proposed in the Judiciary Committee,
and is expected to be rejected by the
House.
In the absence Of special machinery,
the enforcement of wartime prohibi-
ton will be attempted on the basis of
the penalties for violation provided in
the war prohibition act iself. These
penalties are $1,000 fine, or one years
imprisonment, or both.
Drys on the Judiciary Committee
said they believed these penalties
would in a measure deter violations
of the war prohibition act in the rural
districts. and in smaller cites, but