The Washington times., 1920-07-17
DRY" AGENTS
, ADMIT DEFEAT.
CanEot Be Enforced Unless
Backed by Public Of Cities,
They Say.

Six months of national prohibition
.Sinced enforcement officers that II Is
impossible to make States dry unless
they are backed by public sentiment
Here is the situation, as described by
one high in authority:
In some States conditions are worse
Eighteenth Amendment became ef-
fective. The populations of the bad"
territory are made up largely OF for
eixn-born residents and the sentiment
is opposed to prohibition.
The Government officials name New
York. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and
Illinois as ''bad States" Massachu-
setts. California and other heretofore
wet States are not included.
The enforcement officers have not
been able to cope with the intoxica
ting liquor traffic in localities where
the prevailing sentiment is against
the law.
In every other State, except the five
mentioned, there has been IAN i'm
provement In conditions" experts in
the Bureau OF Internal Revenue as
sert. The degree OF effectiveness in
carrying out the provisions of the
prohibition measures is about what
was expected.
ON BUSINESS BASIS.
There is serious trouble in the moon
shine regions of the South, but that
will be eliminated in the near future.
1t Is explained by revenue agents that
where a small operator. with still
hidden in the caves of the mountains
lar
and more bushes Tx man Is at work.
The theory that the man on the
InountaiESide had a right to convert
his little crop OF corn into whiskeyy
maintained for decades. That little
chap the prohibition agents claim has
been put out of business by the man
who has commercialized the business.
There was sympathy for the simple
corn grower, but none for the money
maker, and he will be caught and
punished. The courts are not lenient
with the manufacturer or dealer who
is out for profits. Therefore the Of
ficers here hold that it is just ques-
tion of time until the liquor makers
in the dry territory of the South will
be run down and punished.
CONDITIONS WORSE IN CITIES
1t Is frankly admitted in private by
in the large cities of the country,
where there is a considerable foreign
or foreign born population, conditions
are worse than they were six months
ago. The reasons given for this are:
1. The courts were not inclined to
infiict severe penalties until the Su-
preme Court had passed upon the
controverted questions growing out of
the operation of the Volstead act. This
reason may disappear now, as the
court has acted. "..''' '-- -
- The abuse of the permit system,
which includes forgery and the diver
sion of legitimate permits to improper
uses.
3. 1t was difficult for the Bureau
of Internal Revenue to put in the
field a strong organization right on
the go. In making haste, the en-
forcement officers picked or accept
ed lot Of useless or bad men. 1t is
admitted that crooked agents have
been taken on by mistake through
recommendations of Congressman,
prohibitionists, or others. Nine
tenths of the persons employed were
inexperienced, and there was a short
age of properly trained employees to
teach them. 1t was impossible to de-
velop an effective organization of in
telligent and competent men in so
short a time.
The enforcement officers believe
that conditions will improve in New
York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and
Illinois from this time on. Field
forces are improving.