The Washington times., 1919-05-20

LIGHTER DRY
LAWS SLIM
Senate ProhibitionistS Can
Block Measure for Wines and
Beer Until After July |.
BY BILL PRICE.

President Wilson's recommendation
TO Congress today that the wartime
prohibition act of November 81, 1918
be amended to permit the manufac-
ture and sale of beer and wines will
bring about a fight that will interest
the entire nation, with all eyes To-
cused on Washington.
Washington people, hedged around
by both the Sheppard and Reed bone
dry laws, would not for the presen,
share in the liquid enjoyment of any
act Of Congress which would permit
the continuance Of the manufacture
and sale of beers containing a light
percentage of alcohol aed light wines.
Still they will watch the fight with
profound interest. So long as Balti-
more is only forty-odd miles away
1oaming glasses of beer would be an
occasional possibility to those who
feel that they should not be deprived
OF that beverage.
July 1 will put everything alco-
holic-beer, light wines, and whis-
key-on the blink for good unless
Congress should interfere before that
tine, or unless the Federal courts
should hold that beer containing not
over 2% per cent alcohol is not an
alcoholic drink within the meaning
Of the wartime act, referred to by the
President
This question of alcoholic percent
age is now before the Federal courts
Tor decision and may be passed upon
before July /. Under the act the
manufacture Of all alcoholic drinks
should have stopped weeks ago. but
many brewer are turning out beer of
the percentage mentioned and are not
being molested by the Internal Reeve
nue. Bureau pending final judicial.
decision. Officials of this bureau had
formerly limited that any drink con-
tanning above y per cent alcohol was
barred by law.
Can Only Look to Gases.
Westinghouse with deep and abid-
ing thirst can do nothing more than ,
look far away toward the GASES in
the prohibition desert and long to be
there.
A few prohibition leaders are said
TO have come to the conclusion that
It would be wisest to permit the re-
peal Of the wartime act and devote
their whole attention to bringing
aooUt a bone-dry nation under the
Constitutional amendment which be-
comes operative January l. 1920.
That is unless it, too. is delayed By |
decisions of the courts. The mosl |
eminent constitutional lawyers Of the |
country are preparing to test this on /
the ground that adoption of the
amendment was forced through leg
tslatures of States which provide for |
referendum votes before such action |
becomes legal. Their claim will be |
shat until the people OF these States i
say by referendum vote that they |
want the proposed amendment the |
adoption by legislatures is absolute !
~ null and void and there is no au- !
thority for Congress to amend the I
Constitution.
Laws To Make 1t Effective.
While the lawyers are fighting in |
the courts. a big fight will go on in |
Congress over legislation to make the /
prohibition amendment effective. /
without legislation defining alco- I
holic liquors the officers of the law 1
would be at sea. The great fight !
in Congress will revolve around I
beers and light wines, containing
percentages of alcohol which experts |
will declare insufficient in kick" to |
come within the scope OF alcoholic |
drinks which the amendment pro-
poses to prohibit.
II is within the power Of Congress |
TO define the amendment as pro-
hibiting everything containing as
much as u per cent of alcohol or
even less. II is likewise within the
power OF that body to fix by law
~ or 3 per cent as the limit OF al
cohoL The latter course would
mean beers and light wines for all
states not having strict prohibition
Jaws.
Under the terms Of the act OF No
Vember 81, 1918. importation Of for
eign wines has been forbidden since !
che date of the act except those on the |
aigh seas at the time of passage. /
french and Italian wines have Writ |
ually disappeared in this country.
PrOhIbitionIsts Can Block.
Radical prohibition leaders in Con- |
cress today stated their purpose to |
fight any amendment Of the wartime /
&C, favoring light drinks. Whatever /
.he ultimate action Of Congress on I
the question. IL was evident tOday 1
that there will be no amendment OF (
the act by July J. ProhibitiOnists in 4
senate and House are in position to I
delay the passage OF an amendment /
until after that time; how long after 4
remains to be seen.
Washingtonians opposed to prohibi- /
ton are hopeful that Congress will, /
under the Constitutional amendment. /
nut the country on light drink basis 1
believing that this would take pre- 4
cedence over the Sheppard and Reed /
Gets and permit the sale here Of beers |
and light wines.
NAVY MEN MUST KEEP FIT.
All naval officers under a general |