The New York herald., 1922-09-02
Specia, Dispatch to THE Ngw York HERALD
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. c.. Sept. l.

Special Dispatch to THE NEw York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. c.. Sept. 1.
While it generally is anticipated
that liberal sentiment will be stronger
in the next Congress, it is the con-
sensus Of expert opinion in Washing
ton, that the November elections will
not bring change in the lineup suf-
ficient to enable a modification OF the
Volstead law so as to permit the sale
Of beer and wine.
This belief is based upon interviews
with wet and dry leaders in the Senate
and House. with trained political OBJ
servers of the Republican and Demo-
cratic National committees, with Of
ficials of the Prohibition Enforcement
Service and with the spokesmen Of
both wet and dry organizations.
That there is an unmistakable change
or sentiment in some sections of the
country in favor OF modification of the
Vostead law is admitted even by GER
tain dry leaders whose enthusiasm for
prohibition has not dmmed their vision
of practical politics, but this swing of
sentiment is not regarded as sufficient
at this time to lead to beer and wine
legislation.
Though the issue is up in 100 of the
435 Congressional districts and in five or
six of the thirty-five Senatorial contests.
II Is not thought at all probable that the
results will do more than spur the
vets to future efforts, possibly to make
prohibition a real. clear cut and general
issue In another campaign.
Issue Being Crystallixcd.
Gains in Congress by the liberal forces
would be followed. Senate and House
leaders agree. with renewed efforts to
modify the Volstead law. That the next
Congress will see much agitation of this
kind Is freely predicted The feeling is
that the net result will be to crystallize
the issue to greater extent and unite
the liberals behind we'll functioning
machine. which they do not possess at
this time.
Upon the reasons for the apparent
shift of sentiment toward the volstead
law vets and drys' are divided, each
group interpreting the condition as best
suits the individual purpose.a While the
vets say the feeling will grow, the drys
are equally certain 1t will recede. and
hold such change in public opinion as
exists a normal reaction of having tried
something new and the result of wide
spread propaganda by the liberal forces.
The contrasted views are shown In
interviews with Senator Willis tRep..
Ohio), coauthor of the Willis-Campbell
bill forbidding the use of beer as medi-
cine. and recognized as one Of the spokes
tI.A t,.T
resentative Hill (Rep.. Md, one of the
wettest OF the vets in Congress, and just
now trying TO obtain the removal OF
Prohibition Commissioner Haynes.
THE incrcs ed sentiment against the
Volstead law Is not alarming" Senator
Willis declared to-day. 1T Is result
Of propaganda, pure and simple. There
Is no question but that the vostead law
is here to stay. / am impressed with
this more all the time.
Never Heard of Cocktail.
Broadly. the country Is in favor of
prohibition. Take the great Northwest
efn country for example. 1t Is dry. So
is the West. with the exception of that
little strip in California where grapes
are grown. The people OF the West be-
lieve that prohibition is economically
sound.
THE South. by and large. also is
opposed to prohibition. but for a differ
ent reason. The South has its problem
in the negro. 1t Is question there of
self protection.
"The urban sections Of the East. on
the other hand. are wet. In New York.
Boston Baltimore and i'm Washington
people have been in the habit OF having
liquor. All the cocktail drinkers are in
this section. In many parts OF the West
the people never heard of cocktails.
'The Middle West of course. Is be-
twixt and between the very dry West
and the very wet East and II Is there
that I have been watching the scnt-
ment. have. OF course. been In politics
for a long time and the Republican and
Democratic conventions in Ohio recently
were the first ever knew OF thers
where the prohibition issue was not
lurking around somewhere. To my
mind. both the parties recognized that
the LIQUOR issue is dead forever.
II would not be surprised. on the
other hand. but that the vets would
make some gains In tho next Congress.
but the reasons for that are obvious.
The elections OF 1920 were remarkable
from the standpoint of Republican vic
tories. Some Congressional districts
went Republicans that never went Re-
publican before. II stands to reason
that there will be n natural swing back
IN some of the districts where there Is a
largo Democratic vote. The Democrats.
as rule, .bave had tho wet side OF the
argument. and. in consequence. the wet
forces will, be Increased to some extent.
No Place TO Drink.
I'm my opinion. however. there will
be no modification. The idea kills itself
from the start simply because IL beer
and wine were to be sold the question
instantly arises. Where7 People do not
want the saloon to come back. 30 that
disposes OF the thought OF such q drink
ing place. Then comes the idea Of sell
ing beer and wine at drug stores That
also Is impracticable. and people will
not stand for that. They do not want
their sons and little girls mixing up
with red nosed buns who call around
for their allotments of beer and wine.
I think the thing disposes of itself and
there will be no modification
Representative Hill. who represents
the view OF many members or Congress.
and who has assumed the role OF wet
spokesman by virtue OF his frequent
fights over the issue. also senses the
change of sentiment. but says that II
will grow.
''I predicted long ago. he, declared. |