The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1921-05-24

l.
Roughly Handled by Volstead When
He Pleads for Use of Beer as Med
icine. Sharp Retorts.
WASHINGTON, D. C.-Signs of
the days when the drys were battling
to bury John Barleycorn were re-
enacted today before the house judi
ciary committee, except that few
friends OF Johns family appeared to
protest against Chairman Volstead's
plan to cut off, even for medical pur-
poses, the heritage of beer.
Plenty of drys were on hand and
DIR. ]. p. DAWN, OF New York, who
pleaded for the use of beer as medi-
cine, was given none too cordial treat
ment In fact, ne was roughly handled
by Volstead, who challenged the ply
sician's ability to explain anything
and on another occasion declared the
witness was using a "conglomeration
Of words that mean nothing"
Anheuser Firm for Enforcement.
Outstanding in the testimony was
the statement by Oliver I. Remmers,
counsel for the Anheuser-B COM
pany, OF St. Louis, that the firms pol
icy was beer for all, or beer Tor
none" He requested an investigation
of ''favoritism and failure" in the dry
law enforcement and declared that
the firm stood four square for law
enforcement, although unalterably OPP
posed to prohibition
Drv leaders said there were many
leaks in the stocks OF liquors and urg-
ed the committee to make the Vol
stead law air tight. DR.. DAWN, how
ever, resented the move by Mr.. Vol
stead to dictate to physicians" what
they shall or shall not prescribe, and
urged the committee to await consid-
Grafton OF the bill by the American
Medical Association next month.
Sharp Colloquy.
Mr.. Vostead sought to establish
why it was not possible for physicians
to make medical beer by using cereal
beverages and alcohol. He asked Dr.
DAWN several questions along this line
none of which apparently was answer
ed to the satisfaction OF the committee
chairman, who finally blurted: "Lool
here, you're trying to cvade every
question | ask. Tell us what you know
! if YOU know so much.
The witness again attempted an ex
PLANTATION, but was interrupted by Mr.
Volstead, who inquired why cerea
| beverages were not as good tor the IN
ly1 rly
"Ah, that's the point" replied the
witness. Near beer is just like near
craftsmanship. 1t can't accomplish
anything noticeable"
Il don't think you know what yor
are talking about" returned the. chair
man, nor do ! think your insults viii
get far with the committee"
Several committee members evlnceo
interest in the kind OF diseases fol
which the witness said he would pre-
scribe beer. Most of them, however
were said by the witness to yield slow
| " to curative treatments. Some were
durable only in exceptional cases, he
added.
Unpopular in Rhode Island.
E. V. Claypool, superintendent OF
| the Rhode Island Antl-SdlOOn League
declared that the Volstead law was
unpopular in his state.
Asked if the law was being enforced
as we'll there as i'll other sections, he
answered.:
Eyes, the draft act also was enforc-
ed throughout the United States, but,
nevertheless, Bergdoll is in Germany
and Edsel Ford did not go"
Officials of the American Drug Man
ufacturers' Association were before the
committee to discuss technical provis-
ions of the bill. The association was
represented by spokesman as favoring
the prohibition of beer, but as object
ing to some of the provisions apper-
tanning to their lines of industry.
Several expressed fear that if the
prescribing OF beer was permitted
drug establishments would become
transferred into mere dispensaries OF
beer, and that the change would lower
the ethical standard OF the business.
Beer has not been recognized as
medicine by the medical profession in
three or four decades DR.. Harvey w.
Wiley, pure food expert, told the COM
mittee. He said home brew is the poor
est brew and is dangerous.