Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1920-01-16
Col. Roper, Of Revenue Service,
at New York, Announces Dry
Program and Wnai is Legal
or Unlegdl.
By The Associated Press.

By The Associated Press.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 16.-Consti-
tutional prohibition becomes effec-
tive at midnight tonight.
From 12:01 A. M, The 'manufac-
ture, sale or transportation of in
toxicating liquors within, the impor-
tation thereof into, or the cxporta-
ton thereof from the United States
and all territory subject to the juris-
diction thereof for beverage pur-
poses" is prohibited by the 18th
amendment to the Constitution, and
the United States becomes the first
nation OF the world to make such a
provision part of its basic law. Con-
gress has defined an intoxicating
liquor as any beverage containing one
half of one per cent. or more of al
cohol.
Actually. the advent OF constitu-
tional prohibition will make little diff
ference in the daily life of the people
of this country, as they have been
living under the nation wide war-time
ban on alcoholic drinks since last
July There have been eager hopes
entertained by the thirsty, by distil-
lers and by spectators holding large
quantities of whiskey for higher prices
that war time prohibition would be
lifted before today in accordance with
the recommendation of President Will
fused to do SO and the arid spell now
about to begin under authority of the
nations Constitution. which prohipi-
tionists declare will continue in effect
for time inasmuch as 1t could be re-
voked only in the samo manner in
(which 1t came into 'exis ence, will per-
nit no opportunity for the replenisr
ment of private cellars or the unload
ling of investment stocks.
| Thousands OF gallons of whiskey re-
main in bonded warehouses with no
chane~ fs nj, he sold at nrsyaiiin HIS.
tonly for incidental and scientific uses
with the Bureau of Internal Revenue
eXerting extreme precautions to SEQ
that none of it is used in violation or
the law. During the last two months,
many owners of alcoholic liquors.
foreseeing no opportunity for sale in
this country have endeavored to rush
Ithe surplus to other countries. Lack
lof shipping space prevented more than
20 fraction being exported. Cuba and
the Bahamas have received most of
what was sent aboard. There We're
I70,000,000 gallons on hand when war
time prohibition went into effect. The
amount exported Is not known, but Is
probably less than 20.000,000 gallons.
Attacks on constitutional pfohfbi-
ton, began in several states, appar-
emily are not viewed with alarm by the
reform forces. After the Supreme
Court upheld the constitutionality OF
wartime prohibition and the meas
ures to enforce 1T, Wayne B. Wheeler,
General Counsel of the Anti-Saloon
League Of America, announced that
the onlyE question left on which tho
vets could make a fight was whether
prohibition was proper subject Tor
constitutional action and whether the
amendment had been adopted legally.
IA cd ttn n dntrtN ryN
the subject. New Jersey officials. who
searched State Department records OF
the ratification of the amendment, an
nounced they had found no variations
in language which would warrant at
tacking it.
Enforcement of constitutional pro-
hibition was lodged by Congress with
1.-THE Bureau of Internal Revenue.
which for years has been in close
touch with distilling and brewing In
terests in the collection of excise taxes
and active running down moon
sinners" Evidence collected by the
Bureau will be used IN prosecutions by
the Department OF Justice.
Commissioner Roper established an
entirely separate division In the Bu-
reau of Internal Revenue for the en-
forcement of prohibition, headed by
John F. Kramer. of Mansfield. Ohio.
as prohibition commissioner for the
| United states. lie VIII nave unuer
him nine federal supervisors In
lcharge OF as many districts. q director
in each state and q mobile force which
can be shifted from place to place as
Iconditions demand.
Mr.. Roper has made plain. how
ever. that enforcement of prohibition
depends largely on local sentiment
and has appealed to citizens of the
United States to give their co-opera-
ton to upholding the law of the
country. Federal forces. he said,
would be used to reinforce local eff
forts. and where any state offfcer fall
ed In his duty, his const tuents would
be informed.
taxes has been collected annually on
alcoholic beverages, which now VIII
have to be obtained by the govern-
ment in some other way.
Prohibition sentiment. eliminating
in the epoch making amendment to
the Constitution, has been growing
steadily In this country since 1908, ac-
cording to records compi'ed nv the
Board of Temperance of the Metho-
| d st Episcopal church. at thnt time,
a demand for moderation IN + Suse or
ardent spirits arose. followed ten
years later by an even brosder move
ment for abstinence from ardent spIr-
its and for moderation In the use ot
mat LIQUORS This in turn gsYe way.
in 1870. to sentiment for ahstiHence
from ell alcoholic beverages.
(Continued on page 81
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