Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1919-04-13
JULY | DRY
LAW Up IN
AIR; MAY Be
MADE VOID
No Way to Enforce Regula-
tons, Says Commissioner
of Internal Revenue Roper
President to Be Asked to De-
clare. War Over, Thus Max
ing Prohibition Law Invalid

WASHINGTON, April 12.-Enforce-
ment of wartime prohibition which
becomes effective July 1, is not lodged
with the internal revenue bureau or
with any other government agency,
but is merely left to the United States
attorneys. Revenue Commissioner
Daniel c. Roper declared today after
an analysis of all statutes and regu-
lations. Intimation that because OF
the apparent difficulty of enforcement
the president or congress might be
called on to postpone the laws opera
ton, was given by Mr.. Roper tonight
in a statement saying that "the issu-
ing of licenses for the manufacture
prohibited by the wartime prohibition
act will naturally cease with July l,
assuming, of course that neither the
president nor the congress stays the
operation of that law"
In this connection it became known
today that a number o administration
officials and advisers of the president
had recently urged him to prevent pro-
hibition from going into effect July /,
by proclaiming the completion of de-
mobilization by that time. This group
is understood to include Commissioner
Roper, who is represented as believ-
ing prohibition cannot be enforced ad-
euuately without specific legislation
establishing an enforcement agency.
No Method of Enforcement
1t develops that the revenue bureau
will be unable to assign all of its 5000
revenue agents to liquor work owing
to the necessity of employing most OF
these men on tax collection business.
Reports that 5000 agents will be as
signed to prohibition enforcement af-
ter July l appear erroneous in the light
of the revenue commissioners decision
tha the has no authority nor appro-
pTiations necessary to carry out the
task
Commissioner Roper and Secretary
Glass have always been opposed to
lodging in the bureau the function of
enforcing prohibition measures and
have suggested that the department of
justice is the proper agency on statute.
TIL reinforcement of revenue meas
ures which remain on statute books
regardless of the advent of prohibi-
tion on July l, will not constitute an
adequate policing of the country so
ia ras making prohibition of the manu-
facture of liquo rabsolutely effectively
or even coming near 1t, revenue off
cials explain. Campaigns against
mconshiners, which heretofore have
engaged a large force of revenue
agents have been very limited in scope
as compared with the nationwide vio-
lations looked for after prohibition
goes into effect for the entire coun-
try.
Congress Is Blamed
Technically Interpreted, the revenue
laws would constitute sufficient basis
for detecting and prosecuting illicit
manufacturers or dispensers of Ii
uuors, officials say, since it violates
the laws to make liquor without au-
thority of the revenue bureau and
without paying the tax and the bu-
reau will have no authority after July
/ to issue licenses. Despite this, per-
sons detected in the manufacture of
whisky, beer, wine or other liquors
would be subjected not only to the
penalties provided by the prohibition
act, but those established by existing
revenue laws and to the pamyent of
liquor taxes in addition.
After explaining in a statement that
congress had failed to pass bills au-
thorizing administration of the war
time prohibition provision of the agri-
cultural bill, approved last November
81, Mr. Roper said:
enforcement OF the prohibition
contained in the act. therefore, is not
placed with the commissioner Of in
ernal revenue or lodged anywhere in
the government, but is naturally left
to the United States attorneys to en-
force by prosecution under the section
Of the act which provides that any
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