The sun., 1919-01-17
Nebraska Gives Liquor Its
Death BlOw-WyOming
and Missouri Follow.
LITTLE HOPE FOR VETS
AlcohOl's Forces Say Refer
endums Must Clinch De-
cisiOn in % States.
BANKING ON SOLDIERS
Prohibition Amendment and
Presidential Proclamation
Will DOvetail.
BANKING ON SOLDIERS

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18.-The last
nail was driven into the coffin of King
Alcohol to-day, when the Legislature
Of Nebraska ratified the prohibition
amendment to the Constitution. To
make the Id of the coffin doubly tight
the Legislatures Of Wyoming and Mis-
souri, followed suit soon afterward,
and tonight only ten of the forty
eight States of the Union have failed
to put their stamp Of approval on the
action OF Congress in passing the
resolution
time intervene now before the United
States will be absolutely dry-at least
as dry as legislation and its enforce
ment can make 1t.
BY the terms of the Constitutional
amendment the long dry regime be-
gins one year after three-fourths Of
the States Of the Union hnve ratified
it. Nebraska's action to-day made up
the total Of three-fourths OF the
States, but despite this technlcalities
Of procedure are such that until the
Secretary of State here Is formally
notified Of the ratification by thirty
six States the ratification has no Of
fetal weight. Thus far, the State De-
partment disclosed, to-day, only four.
teen of the ratifylng States have noti-
fled the Secretary Of State Of their
action.
Dry n Year After Procls nation.
When formal notice of ratification
by the thirty sixth State reaches the
State Department a proclamation will
be issued by the Secretary and the
country will go dry officially one year
from that date.
Legislation psssed under the pres
sure OF war conditions, however, may
have the effect of drying up the ma
tion long before a year passes from
the date of this proclamation. The
war time prohibition resolution passed
BY Congress, to be effective during the
period of the war and "the period Of
capitalization" becomes effective July
Of this year and this is generally In
terpreted here to mean that the lid will
30 on in less than six months.
As a matter of technical fact the
war is still in progress and will be un-
III the ratification Of the peace treaty
by the Senate and the formal proc
lemation Of peace from President Will
son. How long the period OF demobi-
lization" will last lies in the discretion
o. the President and the Secretary Of
War, but even the most optimistic pro-
ponents Of booze-and there are few OF
them in evidence now-are convinced
that the effectiveness of war time pro-
hbition will be long enough to dove
tail with the beginning Of Constitu-
t!onal prohibition.
Nothing Left for Consreas.
So far as Congress is concerned II has
nothing more to do. When the resolution
10 submit the constitutional amendment
TO the States for ratification WAS agreed
W ny l"b-lnnub Ol tno trouSo ohu t'S
Senate the question passed entirely out
OF the hands OF the national legislature
ard into the hands OF the Legislatures
~ the several States. Not even the
President has to pass on the matter. as
provision Is made by law for, certifica-
tons OF the actions OF the State Legis-
latures going directly to the State De-
rartment and the final pronouncement OF
the death knell of liquor will come from
tNe had of Dapa mont Of COyern-
nsnt.
There is only one slender thread of hope
for the vets" and that thread Ia close
to the swapping point. Many. II not all.
o. the States are permitted by their
constitutions and by law to rescind
within year the ratifying action OF
their Legislatures. There has been some
little suggestion heard that the return
Ing American fighters. generally sup
posed TO have become implacabie enemies
~ prohibition through tho influence OF
their sojourn in wine drinking France.
may force a change OF 'front.' eitner
through referendums or by directly in
hrencng the Legislatures In some States
Drys' sharp Gain In Strength.
However, as a year ago the prohibi-
ton forces we're counting on total OF
hut thirty-f1ve States to ratify the dry
amendment, with a strong night to OBJ
tain the necessary other one. and to-day,
slightly more than q year since the pro-
hibition amendmsnt was presented,
thirty-eight States have acted favorably
on the amendment. with others still to
be heard from, It Is believed that the
"drys" can AFFORD to throw away two or
three States and still leave the result the
same.
OF the forty-eight States only these
have not ratified the amendment: Minne-
seta, Nevada, New Jersey. New Mexico,
( cowtt~wsS on Fc~rth Pogo.