The New York herald., 1922-12-25
WHEELER sees DRY
DESPITE WET TIDE
Prohibition Leader Credits
Volstead Law for Nearly
All Years Joys.
HAYNES JUBILANT, TOO
Presidents Admission That
Enforcement Is Failure
Is Ignored.
CAPITAL SIPS FREELY
No Beer Made During 1922,
Says Legal Adviser of
Anti-Saloon League.
CAPITAL SIPS FREELY

Special Dispatch 10 TIE New YORK HEMEp.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington. ID. c., Dec. "a. J.
While President Harding is admit
ting the failure Of the Fedora! Gov
ernment's efforts to enforce tho Vol
stead law and calling on the Cover
nors to help in ending national scan
dal, and bootleggers are SO bold in the
capital, birthplace Of the Eighteenth
Amendment, that a Congressional in
vestigation is projected after the holi-
days, the dry leaders insist upon TAX
ing hopeful view of the situation.
Wayne B. Wheeler, legislative coun-'
sci Of Ithe Anti-Saloon League. issued
a statement tonight in which he gave
credit to prohibition for nearly every
good thing from reduction of the war
debt to the difference in the cost OF
labor here and abroad. .y..
For the last few days Prohibition
Commissioner Haynes has been cheer
fully grinding out press handouts" from
his office mimeograph machine telling
how the illicit liquor traffic is being re-
duced TO the vanishing point by the
agents under his control. Apparently
President Harding thinks Mr. Haynes
has poor eyesight.
Liquor Plentiful in Capital.
Meantime Intoxicating beverages are
flowing as freely in Washington as ever
and 1t is just as easy to get drink in
scores of rooms in the Senate and
House office buildings this holiday sea-
son as 1t was before Representative up
shur (Ga) and other extreme drys
threatened to throw liquor out of the
cradle of the Eighteenth Amendment and
the Volstead law. tse. +.
Mr. Wheeler does not tell where he
gets his figures. Some, of them un-
doubtedly will be questioned. particu-
larly his assertion that no beer was pro-
duced in the United States In l922
Those persons who have been drinking
beer whenever they wanted 1t IN this
and other cities during the last twelve
months--the real stuff too, with good
kick" to II. even II 1t ls not aged as
much as In the old days--will smile in
diligently to themselves over Mr..
Wneeler Innocence
Mr.. WheeIer's Greeting.
Here is Mr. Wheeler's yuletide greet
ing--cheerful q gloomy. according to
the point of view: w
'JJncle Sam put these gifts into the
stockings of over a hundred million peo-
pie this Christmas,
production of spirits. excluding alco->
hol but including brandy, reduced from
9S,517.252 gallons in 1914 to 1.63l,O56
In 1922 Importation of spirits. all
kinds, reduced from 4.220,670 gallons In
1914 to 2S0.000 gallons in 1922 (esti-
mated). Tax paid spirits withdrawn.
excluding alcohol but including brandy.
reduced from sO.5S1.942 gallons In 1914
TO 2.790.375 gallons in 1929, and this not
for beverage uses. Spirits In bond. in
Guiding brandy but not alcohol. reduced
from 2S4.4O6.699 gallons in 1914 to
3s,924,246 gallons In 1922. Alcohol
withdrawn. tax paid. reduced from S.
1888 gallons in 1914 to 16.391.4s9 gal
Ions in 1922. Beverage spirits. includ-
ing part of alcohol used for beverage
purposes. reduced from 100000 gall
Ions in 1914 to nil in 1922 Beer pro-
duced and Imported was reduced from
2,057, ,000, 900 gallons in 1914 to nil in
1922.
Referendum elections In 1922 show
gains for prohibition. Ohio rejected
275 beer amendment by 10000 major
ity. California turned a $4,000 wet ma
jorty OF two years ago into n $4,000
dry majority. The vets failed to get a
majority of all the votes cast in Illinois
for beer and wine. and Massachusetts
remains where she was before without
an enforcement code.
Congress Strongly Dry.
"Over two-thirds of both Houses OF
Congress. both the present Congress and
the one newly elected. stand for pro-
hibition enforcement and against any
beer and wine amendment.
"'rhe United States. which stopped the
liquor waste. is the only nation to re-
duce its war debt.
"Tapscs Of insurance policies continue
% decrease and mortality Of non-drink-
crs to decrease.
zone In ten, or about every other
& ~lily i'm the nation has an automobile.
lille in rum ruled countries like Eng
l.rd there is only about one automobile
g. g3a people.
~" standards OF living and wages
g.. higher In the United states than in
rum rulcd countries.
The health. wealth and happiness Of
~, ,eone are increasing and the evils
9 y 'iGror traffic are gradually van
.sit -tt-