The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-12-05
By KENNETH w. CLARK.
international Nevs Service.

| Iou.
Vets are preparing Tor the show.
down under the militant colors of
the Association Against the Pro-
hibition Amendment, which now 10
In the midst of an active nation wide
membership campaign.
| Ths tight, figureatively. will be
from house to house. and IL In.
tended to 20 arouse the American
people that they will. for once and
all, take q most definite stand on
tho prohibition question. Leaders
OF both sides are convinced that this
will be the final showdown; that II
will settle, At least for some time
to come. whether prohibition is to
remain vital force in tho oountry's
political life.
Drys Take Defensive.
Cognizant Of the growing strength
OF the West, dry chieftains, at the
offset. will assume defensive tactics,
believing that - they hold the
whip hand" 1t u not up to them to
make the initial move. Only when
the vets open malignant an
tagonism" for liberalization Of tho
Volstead act will the drys adopt
aggressive methods.
It IL the first objective Of the
drys to get behind the Government
In attempting to clamp on q stricter
enforcement Of the liquor laws.
Strangely enough. vets, too. for
the present. favor moro drastic en-.
forcement. They believe this course
will show the futiiity Of enforcing
regulations. and that, in the opinion
Of their leaders, failure of enforce
msnt will prove that most Of the
people Of the country favor return
Of light wines and beer. and win
not. under any circumstances. live
up to any law which longer excludes
these beverages from the home.
Hill May Lead Attack.
Congressman Hill of Maryland.
head Of the vets in Congress, Is ex-
pected to play q prominent part In
directing the liberalization attack.
&. The plans and detectives Of the
drys in the coming battle were
| revealed to the International News
Service by Edwin C. Dinwiddie.
head Of the national temperance
bureau, who led the Anti-Saloon
League attack which resulted In
enactment Of the Eighteenth
amendment.
Dinwiddie. just returned from an
international temperance confer.
ence IN Toronto. Canada. has laid
before President Harding some of
/ the dctails Of the drys' plans to
assist. the Government in . gen.
eral tightening up Of prohibition
Harding was in accord with tho
while we have already defeated
the VETS" said Dinwiddie. I'VE are
ready. II they force the issue, to
battle and defeat them again. We
arc prepared to 30 before the ma.
ton once more and take up the
cudgel for prohibition"
Fought Wet Candidates.
During the elections Dinwiddie
travelled throughout the country,
fighting wet candidates. While he
deprecated talk Of the importance
Of the prohibition question In the
campaigns he emphatically discred.
tied reports Of widespread gains of
liquor liberals"
@These statements Of the ire
mendous advances by vets in
Congress are without reliable foun.
dation," he said. "Our forces still
maintain a big majority at the
Capitol and oan successfully resist
any attempt at present TO liberalize
the law. despite premature and OK.
aggerated announcements by pro-
hibition foes"
"Dinwiddie said he would cali
shortly upon Roy A. Haynes, pro.
hibition commissioner, to offer fun
powers Of independent temperance
organizations to aid the Govern
ment in drying up" the country.
Fight to Open In House.
The first wet and dry fight Of
the new session of Congress will
be staged In the House tomorrow
II was learned today when the
House Appropriation Committee an.
nounced that the 1923-24 Treasury
Department appropriation bill would
| be ready for presentation within
twenty-four hours. :,
The allotment carried in this bill
for prohibition enforcement is
$1,000, 900 and the item will be chaI.
lenged by the vets, thereby pro
voking . lively battle.
A the dry strength in the House
IL overwhelming, It 10 expected the
appropriation will go through
90 that Prohibition Commissioner
Haynes may continue his enforce.
| ment program unhampered by lack
OF funds to maintain a force of
the size he has recommended.
Included IN the Treasury bill are
appropriations for the customs serv.
ice. internal tar collections, pay.
ment of interest on the funded
debt, provisions for the sinking
fund. carrying and liquidation of
tha Flno ting deI,t ma voatrt....-