The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1922-12-18
HARDING To ASK
I. STATES To HELP
WITH DRY LAWS
White Houce Luncheon Preliminary
10 Governors Meeting In jan
uary; VIII Gather Views OF
state Executives.
BURDEN AS GREAT ON
STATES AS FED, SAYS
President Seeks Popular View as 10
Whether Want strict or Lenient
enforcement; i6 Governors
10 De Present.
ny LAWRENcE MARTIN

Omitted Press staff Correspondent
Washington. Dee. is. President
Harding IN White House luncheon
with group Of governors today
will call upon the states TO assume
equal responsibility with the fed
eral government for prohibition en-
f0rcement.
Tho president will point out. IL
was learned, that In giving the states
and the federal government concur
rent power 10 enforce the law, the
constitution places as great respon-
sibility on the governors OF the Vol
stead enforcement as It does on the
federal executive.
Today's meeting was preliminary
to a general conference of governors
which the president expects to hold
in January, according to present
plans. by this. means he will get
the Judgment on the prohibition
problem not only OF new governors
who will assume office next month,
but men who. retiring Jan. /, will
be able to tell him what the expert
ence within the past two years has
taught them.
Il was considered unlikely that any
effort would be made today TO get
down 10 formation OF any definite
program for coordination for state
and natioqal enforcement.
After expressing his views that
the federal government and the
states are jointly responsible for
prohibition enforcement, the presj-
dent as result of the meeting to1
day hopes:
/. TO get clear survey Of popu-
lar opinion as to prohibition enforce
ment; to learn from the executives
Of the several states just how their
people feel as to strict or lenient
enforcement: whether they want the
Volstead law amended or strength
ened.
2. To get from the governors q
frank and candid statement about
enforcement whether they favor
greater federal and state coopera'
ton or want the task handled al
most entirely by the federal govern
ment whether they are willing to
strengthen state enforcement laws
where necessary; in short, whether
l'he states will back up the federal
Aovernment If 1t goes the limit in
enforcing the Volstead act.
Mr.. Harding will have before him,
If not at today's conference, then
at the latter one, mass Of data
compiled by Prohibition Commits
sioner Haynes showing the extent
and effectiveness of both state and
national enforcement. This data
will show what states are failing to
cooperate and why.
1t was considered not unlikely that
at today's conference with the six
teen governors, who represent both
political parties and come from
states so widely scattered as to
represent measureably well the po-
litical thought of the country, the
political aspect of the prohibition
question would not be overlooked.
Most Of the governors are con-
vinced prohibition will be one OF
the big issues in 1924. Most OF
them, too, have definite ideas how
it ought to be handled as a political
rather than a moral ISSUE They
freely expressed those ideas in pri-
vate conversation at the conference
at White sulphur Springs last week.