The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-07-02
GOVERNMENT SAVES
LIGHT BEER bREWS
At ELEVENTH HOUR
LAGER OF 81 PER CENT ALCO'
HOL MAY BE SOLD, But
NO WHISKEY

Washington, July 1.-The house
judiciary committee probably VIII
meet next Monday to report out
straight bill for enforcement OF war
time prohibition, so as to stop the
sale of 2a per cent beer
This plan virtually was agreed
upon today after the leaders had de-
cided to defer consideration or all
prohibition legislation until next
week. House leaders said that II the
bill were reported by the committee
Monday or Tuesday II would be
passed without extended debate and
sent TO the senate. At best, they
said 2% per cent beer Will be on
the market less than two weeks.
Test cases on the sale of bever'
ages containing more than one'haf
of one per cent of alcohol VIII DE
brought Immediately by the depart
ment of Justice in all jurisdictions
where such cases are not now pend
ing
1--WE propose to make immediate
arrests of persons who violate the
q TO our interpre tation thereof At
torney General Palmer said today.
"The department does not intenu,
however, to be swept Off its teet
the first day that prohibition comes
into effect We will proceed in an
orderly fashion to establish whether
intoxicating beverages prescribed py
the law include those having less
than pa per cent alcohol"
Washington, July 1.-The whole ma
tion awoke today TO a realization o
prohibition. The banishment OF th'
"eye.opener" at the bar, long as'
forgotten in many parts Of the couh
try. was all-embracing. Only thos'
who had been provdent enough u
"stock up in advance for the lons
drought, or who could find solace IL
9 "a per cent brew, We're able to carr!
out the time. .honored custom of start
ing the day with an early mornln'
"bracer."
Wartime prohibition, banning for tn
time being all distilled liquors ana leaN
ing in a cloud of doubt the future o
beer. was effective at midnight. EN
emption of beer from the list OF TOT
hidden beverages came as result
an eleventh.hour announcement by tn
department of justice that, pending
decisions in present litigation 10 oe
termine whether u brew containing
S.4 per cent of alcohol is intoxicating
no action would be taken toward stop
ming the sale of beer containing n
more than that amount of alcohol.
Thus pending court decisions or &C
ton by congress defining intoXicatihl
beverages. sale of the lighter drink
in states in which there are no regula
tory laws will be permitted untll Jahu
ary 16, when constitutional prohlpltlol
becomes effective. Other than TINS
the only ray of comfort left the ant
prohibtionists is the coming OF TN
time when President Wilson will dc
clare rehabilitation of the army con
plete, which automatically would suS
pend operation OF the wartime ac
until January 16.
When the attitude of department O
Justice officials toward beers becan
known last night, some of the promo
ton advocates in congress We're i
favor of abandoning the plan to at
journ until July I, in order that tn
act to define what beverages are II
toxicating and providing for enforce
ment of the wartime dry law Nigh
be rushed through. However, leader
refused to accept the proposal an
the question, at its earliest, cannot b
considered until next week. Eve
then a stiff fight is promised, as a
effort will be made to permit the pres
dent to set aside the wartime act il
sofar as it relates to light wines an
beer.
The action of the department of 1u!
tice last night in announcing ther
would be no interference with the sal
of . 3.i per cent beer was a reverst
of a stand taken in a statement issue
previously in the day, for which ther
was no explanation other than" tha
the department had reversed itself
Celebration of the passing of IN
saloon in many cities throughout tn
country lasted until early this morl
ing, although the actual sale of liquo
stopped at midnight.