Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1920-11-13
Crusade on
Ho1lllleBrew
Is Planned
Internal Revenue Commits.
sioner Says Sale Of Materials
For Manufacture Of Intox-
cants Is Unlawful.
To Prosecute Offenders
By The Associated Press.

Washington, Nov. 1.-THE i'll.
ternal revenue bureau, i'll formal
statements today, confirmed re
ports that crusade against home.
brewing of alcoholic beverages is
planned by the governments proh,-
bition enforcement agencies. The
bureau did not reveal, however, the
means it proposed to employ III the
campaign, nor admit that it had ap-
proved preliminary instructions by
Prohibition Commissioner Kramer
directing that sales of malt and
hops be restricted to bakers and
confcctioners.
IF malt extract. hops. isinglass.
gclatine or other materials are sold
or advertised or sold for use in the
unlawful manufacture of intoxicat-
ing liquor" said a statement issued
by Commissioner Williams OF the
internal revenue bureau, 1T is the
purpose of the bureau to prosecute
persons so offending.
.N Manufacture Illegal.
"The so-called home brew beer
manufactured in the home for bev-
erage purposes, even though for the
sole use of the family and bona f1de
guests, is, under the bureaus con-
struction of the law, illegal"
Mr.. Kramer was still absent from
the city tonight and no authorita- |
tive statement of the nature of such
Instructions as he has already is
ha
paign was obtainable. The state
ment of the federal prohibition di-
rector of Ohio, however, that he
had received instructions from Mr..
Kramer to prevent sales of malt and
hops except to bakers and confec-
TONERS has not been denied by the
internal revenue bureau. although
it is understood that Commissioner
| Williams has not as yet approved
these specific orders.
Difference of Opinion.
| There was an apparent difference
Of opinion between officials of the
bureau of internal revenue and Com
missioner kramer's staff Of advisers
as to the powers granted under the
Nolstad act with respect to prohibit
ing the sale of articles employed i'll
the manufactur OF beer at home.
Commissioner Williams conferred
during the day with aides familiar
with the act and this was followed
! by numerous other conferences i'll
the bureau, the nature OF which was
rot disclosed.
| Officials of the prohibition unit
declined to discuss any phase OF the
question. Assistant Commissioner
Bliss OF the prohibition staff was
among those who talked with Cont
missioner Williams, but neither
would say what conclusion were ar
rived at.
Secret Orders.
The only information obtainable
at prohibition headquarters indicated
that the order restricting the sale OF
mGt and hops to which the Ohio
director referred was i'll the form
of confidential Instructions sent to
all enforcement officers. This method
| is commonly employed by Com
missioner Kramer in all orders is
sued, no publicity being given to
them except in unusual cases.
Notwithstanding the assertion OF
internal revenue officials that they
knew nothing of the specific order,
it was persistently reported that at
Tleast one official had been consulted
regarding the advisibility of sending
it through the routine to make it a
formal treasury decision. When such
orders become of treasury record.
they are revoked only by the secre-
| tary OF the treasury or court order.