Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-03-23
PROHIBITION AGENTS
WILL USE WIRELESS
|NCHAS|NC RUNNERS
Gordon Will Be Thrown
Around Landing Places for
Contraband Cargoes on
Every Coast
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
(Leased Wire Service to The Journal.)
DOWNRIGHT. 1927

LEASED Wire Service to The Journal.)
Copyright, 1927
WASHINGTON, March 22.-The
greatest of battles between the wet
and dry forces in America is i'm
pending. Twenty or more national
organizations will be in the fight
for a modification Of the Volstead
law and at least twenty organiza-
tons comprising the allied temper
ance forces of America will resist
that effort.
News of the intensity Of the fight
to be waged for control of the next
congress comes from both camps.
They admit the contest has begun
and will grow in violence as the pri-
mary campaigns start in the spring
and summer months.
The. issue is not partisan. The
prohibition forces intend to support
Republicans or Democrats, as the
case may be, who have stood by
them in congress, and they similar.
ly will do all in their power to pre-.
vent the denomination or reelection
Of Democrats and Republicans who
have leaned to the wet side.
Big Fund for Temperance
"The temperance forces" said
Samuel w. Small, associate secre.
tary of the National Reform associa-
ton, today, have a pledged financial
income of over 100000 annually
from voluntary contributors, averag.
ing So per person. We have care
fully analysed in the light of past
election returns the condition Of
prohibition sentiment in every one
OF the 435 congressional districts.
We know all the senators and rep.
resentatives who can be trusted to
maintain, strengthen and vote to
increase enforcement legislation. We
will support them without regard to
party or creed and try to re-elect
every one who has been faithful and
undodging. 49,.
we know which members to Oh.
pose, how they were elected, where
their majorities came from and how
to organize opposition that promises
to replace vets with 'drys'
I'VE are making over 1000 spe-
cial addresses in all states every
Sunday and in the congressional
campaign we, viii be able to- put 1900
special prohibition speakers, aside
from volunteers into the various con-.
gressional districts throughout the
union.
"Drys" Well Organized
1--WE intend especially to maintain
safe, strong majority in the United
States senate to guarantee that no
anti-prohibition legislation can be
passed up from the house to the pres.
ident. Thirty-two states voluntarily
had adopted prohibition before the
eighteenth amendment was put upon
the constitution so that we feel sure
Of keeping dry majorities in both
houses of congress.
I'm 1920 the vets made the
strongest effort they could to elect
a wet congress and we put the
question to the people in every dis
trict and the result was the election
of forty more 'drys' in the sixty.
seventh than were in the sixty-sixth
congress. That disposes of the idea
that the people would repeal prohi-
bition if the question could be sen:
to a national referendum"
The temperance forces are much
more efficiently organized than their
opponents. Thirty-five Protentant
evangelical denominations with a
membership of 24,000,000, tWo-thirds
Of which are voters, and two Roman
Catholic organizations with about l.
1000 voters, are claimed by Mr..
Small as the backbone of the tenn
perance movement. Hes estimates
that there are 10000 enrolled pull
pits from which pastors actively and
continuously are supporting the pro-
hibition cause. Added to these are
fraternal organizations and the ram
Gus anti-saloon league and Women's
Christian Temperance union with
memberships contributing monthly
to promote prohibition work.
Soldier to Voice Preference
The prohibition leaders have STIR
red greater activity among the Ia
Dor unions ever since Samuel Com
pers issued a statement on behalf OF
the American Federation of Labor,
urging a modification of the Vol
stead law. The claim is made by
the "drys' that thousands Of local
labor unions have Endorsed prohibl-
ton and will not stand for light
wines and beers"
The "Wets.' on the other hand,
have taken tack which they hope
will swing sentiment toward them.
They do not urge the return of the
saloon-they insist it will not come
back They do not base their cam
paign on the question of repeating
the eighteenth amendment. But they
are concentrating on the Nolstead
law hoping to exhibit certain OF it's
provisions as too extreme and lncon-
sistent with the intent of the eigh-
teenth amendment.
The objective is the return OF
light wines and beer through the
anti-prohibition forces are by no
means united on that point. The
drys, of course, see no way by which
the Volstead law can be modified to
permit light wines and beer without
being unconstitutional, as they in
sist that to increase the alcoholic
content of beverages now sold mere.
ly would fly in the face of the eX-
perience of dry states before the
eighteenth amendment was adopted
when one-half of one per cent of al
cohol was an accepted principle of
prohibition legislation.
The "drys," however, are not hav
ing it all their own way. This cleo
ton for congress is the first in
which a prohibition issue can be
fought out without being cucumber
ed by national presidential ques
tons and party platforms. It's the
first time since the eighteenth
amendment was adopted that the re-
turned soldier who is said to be
against prohibition will have a
chance to register a protest. The
preparations being made by the drys