The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-18
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HASiIIN. Director.
Washington, d. G.
KEEPING is DRY.

administrative l.
viduals and an appropriation of So
000. 900, how is the bureau of internal
revenue going to enforce the prohibit
ton law upon a population of more
than a hundred million?
That is the question that has been
asked before. The bureau of internal
revenue is now preparing to try TO
answer it by a demonstration. 1t IS
organizing its forces and drafting its
regulations for the work of making
nation dry, which will begin on the
sixteenth of January.
The internal revenue officials do not
try to minimize their task. They
know that success in enforcing the
prohibition law is dependent upon the
cooperation of local officials, and, in
the last analysis, upon the support OF
public opinion.
That is the view taken by Daniel
C. Roper, who is at the head of this
greatest of all police jobs. he takes
the view that the question whether or
not you favor prohibition IS now
dead issue. Prohibition is here-or
will be in less than month-and II
is here to stay until the constitution
is again amended. Therefore it is the
duty of all law-abiding men to lend
prohibition their support, regardless
of whether they were lily-whites or
distilierS before prohibition became
law. And upon this support, inspired
by a sense of duty and loyalty to
American principles of government,
the enforcement of prohibition is abb
solutely dependent.
There has been organized in the
bureau of internal revenue an admin
istrative agency for the enforcement
of prohibition, whose activities will
reach all parts of the United States
and it's possessions. In each state
there will be a federal prohibition
director. The country has been di-
, which will be many federal super
, vising prohibition agents. Under
these officers will be force of federal
officers for the enforcement of the
law. Successful administration, how
ever, Commissioner Roper admits, will
depend largely upon the manner in
which other than federal agencies
meet the situation. In all communi-
ties, local officers are expected to
take the initiative. This means that
in every state, city, town and hamlet
, in the United States, mayors. district
attorneys. sheriffs, and policemen are
called upon to do their full share in
the enforcement of the prohibition
. law. Not to do so will result in such
action by federal authorities and it is
their purpose to bring to the atten-
ton of the abiding citizens the
failure of local authorities to assume
| responsibility for prohibition enforce
ment.e
BY addresses. by appeals to civic
and moral organizations. by Infor-
: native material sent to every paper in
/ the country, and by actual physical
demonstration how a man who viu-
lates the prohibition laws can be made
swiftly to feel its penalties, the bureau
OF intern ii revenue is impress:ng upon
the American people its earnest pur-
e pose thoroly to enforce the law.
The internal reve lie officers are
D not going to have time to bother abont
2 the men who make their own" is a
r statement frequently heard, but the
bureau of internal revenue denies it.
( Recently there were arrested members
OF a concern advertising and selling
Y formulas for making Intoxicating Ii
. quor in the home They were held
under the section of the criminal code
n which provides a penalty of not more
than $4,000 or Imprisonment for one
year or both, for conspiracy to defraud
9 the United States government The
prohibition act forbids the nnanufac-
i ture of distilled, malt or vinous liquors
i until the conclusion of the present
: war and thereafter until the termina-
| tion of dem ObiliZa ton" Persons man
ufacturing in their homes for private
I. consumption such liquors are subject
h to the penalties under these acts and
;, are liable also to penalties and taxes
Il imposed by internal revenue laws
Two or more persons who engage in
the home manufacture of intoxicants
, and who so by conspiracy defraud the
government. would each be subject to
: the $4,000 fine and imprisonment as
v well as to all other penalties The ad-
Vert1SerS and sellers of recipes and in
gred1ents for home manufacture were
e held under the section of the criminal
o code which provides that whoever
q directly commits any act constituting
d an offense defined in any law of the
l. United States. or aids, abets counsels
e commands. ind ,es or procures its
n commission, is a principal
The action of the bureau of in
s ternal revenue in this case indicates
clearly that its enforcement of the
3 prohibition laws will not be confined
n to the prosecution of the moonshinel
l. who engages in the manufacture oi
u liquors for profit The word manu-
facture" applies equally to the mar
q who makes it in his kitchen for his
y own use, and to the man who operates
d still with bootleggfng intent.
The national prohibition act author
b ICES the manufacture and sale on anC
E. after January 16 of non-beverage al.
r. cohol for scientific and sacramento
d purposes for its use in certain alco
holic preparations for which there i:
le a legitimate demand.
lie The bureau is now engaged IL. tht
It preparation of regulations governing
the manufacture and sale of such al
cohohc preparations which the ac
'e provides shall be unfit for beverag,
lie purposes" The word unfit wa
"a carefully chosen to meet the require
=, ments of the law. The words ''in
~ capable of being used for beverage
D. purposes" were under consideration
D. as applied to sflavoring extracts il
ID Observation-Disclosures
i SThe GeOroe n