The New York herald., 1922-12-01
VETS DECLARE new
CONGRESS FOR BEER
Assert Poll Shows Amend
nent of VOlstead Law
Certain.
COUNT ON SILENT VOTE
Claim Gains in House Suffi-
cient to Swing Non
committals.'
COUNT ON SILENT VOTE

Special Dispatch 70 The New YORK iIEsALp.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington. ID. c.. Nov. 80.
Modification OF the Volstead act by
the next Congress 10 permit the manu-
facture and sale of light wine and beer
was predicted In statement tonight
by the Association Against the Prohl-
bition Amendment. The prediction was
based on a poll of the new House. A
gain OF seventy-nine votes is claimed for
the forces that tsvor amendment of tho
law. which would bring the total lib
eral' membership UP to 2o4. A ma
iority of the House is 21s.
While the statement. issued from
headquarters of the association in the
name of Capt w. H. Stayton. its
founder. admits that the strength dis
closed by the poll is not sufficient in
itself to change the law. it claims that
1t would nevertheless constitute a suffi-
GENTLY strong nucleus to swing the tide
OF liberal control.
The prediction was coupled with n
strong Endorsement Of the position taken
by President Harding for the enforce
ment of the law so long as 1t remains
on the statute books. To enforce the
law. it was declared. is the plain duty
OF the President. but the effort to en-
force IL win accelerate the rising tide
OF opinion in favor OF modification.
DfverSences I'm Polls.
Y The poll recently made by THE NEW
YORK HERALD is not as promising for
the modification forces as the poll of
the Association Against the Prohibition
Amendment. 1t set the present wet
vote in the House at 1876, with about 80
wet" recruits to result from the recent
election. Both polls agree that the
House will not be wet
President Harding"s position is thor
oughly logical and in complete keeping
with his clear recognition OF the respon-
sibilities as well as the limitations OF his
high Office" said Capt. Slsyton.
There should be no occasion for sur
prise in our hearty and Runuualified in
dorsement Of his stand, for il repre-
sents most definitely the precise posi-
ton our entire membership has taken /:
Respect for and submission to all laws
OF the country so long as they remain
on the statute books, 1t Is for Congress
itself, acting in response to the Will of
the people. TO effect the necessary
changes in legislation that VIII enable
the President to maintain his position
and yet rescue him and the whole execu-
tive machinery of the Government from
the intolerable condition in which they
are now hopelessly entangled
Look 10 Next Congress.
THAT this viii be accomplished
through the initiative OF the next Com
gress in effecting wholesale modifica
tons Of the Volstead act we have every
reason TO expect.
According TO the most careful esti-
mates we can maketthere will be in the
new House a gain of seventy-nine mem
hers who will favor reasonable modifica-
tion OF the Nolstead law. BY reasona-
BILE we mean the legalizaton of the
manufacture, transportation and sale for
home consumption OF wine and beer In
ordinary use, and which in truth and in
fact is not intoxicating, although of
much higher alcoholic content than the
absurd one-half of l per cent limit now
imposed.
"These House gains together with
the liberal membership that will con-
tinue in office next Congress brings the
so-called wet strength to total of 204.
While this falls short of a majority,
there is a large margin which in the
past has been non-committal.
"Of all the non-commttal members
interviewed. ninety-one said that II ever
the vets of the United States showed
they actually would scratch their tickets
they would on presentation OF such proof
stand ready TO vote for some liberaliza-
ton of the Nolstead law. With a mod
crate accession OF these a liberal con-
troll of the next House is certain"