New-York tribune., 1919-06-20
''Dry'' Act Effective
On July l Without
An Enforcing Law
Leaders of Prohibition in
Congress Say 81, 900 Fine
and Year Prison Term
Will Stop Liquor Sale

WASHINGTON, June 1e-War-time
prohibition will 60 into effect July
without any special provision having
been made by Congress for its enforce
! ment. Members Of the House Judiciary
Committee said to-day that it would be
impossible to get the enforcement
measure through both houses before.
the end Of this month.
! Prohibition representatives, who are
IN the majority on the committee, are
not attempting to rush q report to the
House. Chairman Volstead poined out
to-day that under the act which au-
| thorized the Presidents proclamation
| Of wartime prohibition after June 30
provision was made for it's enforce
ment by making violations punishable
by fine of 1000 or Imprisonment for
one year, or both.
Wet sympathizers in the House and
Senate and on the committee will seek
to delay vote on the enforcement bill
as long as possible. The act under
which President Wilson proclaimed
wartime prohibition does not define
the percentage of alcohol that makes
beverage Intoxicating" nor does it
name beverages to be regarded as "in-
toxicating." Until q bill setting a
certain alcoholic content for non-in-
toxicating beverages is passed by Con-
gress or action is taken by the Su-
preme Court the question is one for
the states to decide.
The judiciary. committees progress
on the enforcement legislation has
been slow With the decision of the
committee not to authorize the ap-
pointment of a prohibition commits
sioner, but to have the prohibition laws
enforced by the bureau of Internal
Revenue and the Attorney General,
practically all questions in dispute are
out of the way. However, it is not
expected the bill will be ready to re-
port before the middle of next week.
Denying that Samuel Gompers, presi-
dent of the American Federation of
Labor, spoke the general sentiment of
organized labor in his opposition to
prohibition, Representative Cooper, Re-
publican, Ohio, In a speech in the
, House to-day declared that the liouor
traffic, aided by German brewers,
threatens to ally itself with anarchy
| and Bolshevism unless it is able to
secure some concessions from the gov
ernment and society"
Clarence True Wilson, general secre-
tary of the Board of Temperance of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, chaged
before the Senate Judiciary Sub-C
mittee that agitation for legislation
permitting the continued manufacture
Of beer containing pa per cent alcohol
was part Of a we'll organized propagan-
da backed by German brewers and
brewery workers.
Mr.. Wilson also charged that the
Allied Medical Association of America,
which recently indorsed the use of
wines and beer. but later rescinded it's
action, was not medical organisation
in "good standing" but one formed by
"quack doctors" especially for the pur-
pose Of prompting anti-prohibition
propaganda. He read telegram, which
he said he had received from the Amer
ical Medical Association, and which
said:
"Allied Medical Association not rep
resentative Of scientific medicine. Ig-
nate Meyer, president, born Austria.
l.. Mottefy. secreta rytreasurer, appar-
emily chief organize, born Hungary"