Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1920-11-13
Internal Revenue Bureau
Confirms Report OF
Move
MATERIALS BANNED
Beer Brewing For Family and Bona
Eide Guest Held to be illegal by
the Department

! Washington. D. c., Nov. l3.-The
Internal Revenue Bureau in formal
statements Yesterday confirmed re-
ports that q crusade against home
brewing of alcoholic beverages is
planned by the Governments prohi-
ibtion enforcement agencies. The bu-
reau did not reveal, however, the
means it proposed to employ in the
campaign, nor admit that it had ap-
proved preliminary instructions by
Prohibition Commissioner Kramer di-
recting that sales of malt and hops
! be restricted to bakers and confection
ers.
"If malt extract. hops, isinglass
ge!atine or other materials are sold
or advertised for sale in circumstances
which show that they are. advertised
/ or sold for use in the unlawful man.
ufacture of Intoxicating liquor said
the statement issued last night by
Commissioner Williams, of the In
ternal Revenue Bureau, 1T is the pur
pose of the bureau to prosecute per-
sons 50 offending. The so-called home
brewed beer manufactured in the
home for beverages purpose, even
though for the sole use of the. family
and bona f;de guests, is, under the
bureaus construction of the law, il
LEGAL, and the sale Of materials for
the purpose Of such manufacture IS
, likewise illegal" i
b, Commissioner i. .Famcps stiis soxas- .ah
sent from the city last night and no
| authoritative statement of the ma
ture cf such instructions as he has al
ready issued in the anti-hcmc brew
campaign was obtainable. The state
ment of the Federal prohibition direc-
| tor of Ohio. however, that he had re-
/ ceived instructions from Mr.. Kramer
to prevent sales of malt and hops eX-
cept to bakers and to corfcctioners
| has not been denied by the Internal
Revenue Bureau, although it Is un-
ders.ood that Commissioner Williams
has not as yet approved these specific
orders.
There was an apparent difference
IA of
Bureau of Internal Revenue and Com
missioner Kramer's staff of advisers
as to the powers granted under the
Volstead act with respect to prohibit
ing the sale of articles employed in
the manufacture Of beer At hcme.
Commissioner Williams conferred dur
;nr the dav with aides familiar with
the act and this was followed by num-
erous other conferences in the bureau
the nature of which was net disclosed
Officials of the prohibition unit de-
clined to discuss any phase of the
question. assistant commissioner Bliss
of the prohibition staff, was among
those who talked with Commissioner
Williams, but neither would saywhat
corcl1siors were arrived at.
The only Information. cbtainable at
prohibition headquarters Indicated
that the orders restricting the sale of
,. malt and hcps to which the Ohio di-
rector referred were in the form of
confidential instructions sent to all
enforcement officers. This method is
commonly employed by Commissioner
Kramer in all orders issued, no pub
licitv being given to them except in
unusual cases.
Notwithstanding the assertion Of in
ternal revenue officials that they knew
nothing of the specific ordsr, il was
persistently reported that at least one
official had been.4consui.ed regarding
the advisability- of sending it through
the routine to sn,alest formal Trea-
sury decision. When Such orders be-
come of Treasury record: they are re-
vked only by thisSsseeretary of the
Treasury or Court aSdsr
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