The Washington times., 1923-09-13
.ANTI-VOLSTEAD
FORCESPLAN
CAMPAIGN
Report of Dry Commissioner
Speeds Up Action to
Amend Statute.
By GEORGE r. HOLMES,
International News Service.

hibition enforcement, presented to
President Coolidge by Attorney
General Harry M. Daugherty, has
increased enormously the stock of
ammunition which the vets will
bring into play against the Vol
stead act in the approaching ses-
sion of the new Congress.
This was admitted on all sides
today-even by the drys them
selves. They are privately in
censed at Daugherty's description
of present conditions.
A Tragic Epoch. n
The Attorney General bluntly told
the President that enforcement dur
ing the past year reveals one OF
the most tragic epochs in American
history. relative to law enforce
ment.
ut reveals, among other things"
be continued that The Department
of Justice has been called upon to
prosecute a member Of the :udici-
airy, prominent members Of the
American bar, high officials Of
Federal and State governments.
multi millionaires, scions Of the ma
tons aristocracy, and the sordid
story of assassination. bribery and
corruption that found its way into
the very sanctums wherein the in
volatility Of the law was pre-.
stunned to have been held sacred"
No stronger indictment Of present
conditions was ever drawn by a re-
sponsible government official. 1t was
pointed out here today. And it vas
predicted on all sides today that
these paragraphs from the Attorney
Generals report will be quoted
many times on the floors OF Con-
gress in the forthcoming session,
when the fight for modification Of
the Volstead act gets under way.
Plan Of VETS.
The vets, who viii be stronger in
the new Congress than they have
ever been, are planning to attack
the Volstead Act from two angles:
1-They will contend that 1t can
not be enforced as now drawn. and
consequently should be modified.
2-They will coQtend that 1t is
possible to modify the law and
still stay within the Eighteenth
Amendment. which only prohibited
Intoxicating" beverages and left it.
up to Congress to determine what
percentage of alcohol makes a hev-
erage intoxicating.
With respect to the first conten-
ton, they will cite the Daugherty
picture of present-day enforcement,
and the almost universal lack of
respect for law. extending into the
very sanctums where in the invtola-
bility of the law was presumed to
have been held sacred"
Eliminate Party Lines.
1t is probable the fight on the
Volstead Act will be launched stimuli
taneously in Senate and House-in
the Senate by Senator Walter E.
Edge. Republican. of New Jersey,
and in the House by Congressman
John Philip Hill, Republican, OF
Maryland. Party lines are certain
to go by the boards.
The vets claim to have more
than 200 members of the next
House. A majority is 21S. Their
claims, however, are denied by the
drys, who assert the wet con-
tingent at it's strongest will num-
Der no more than 100. In the Sen
tie, the drys have an undisputed
majority.
Another fault which the drys
find with the Daugherty report is
it's probable effect on the cam
paign for worldwide prohibition.
They declared today that the dis
tillery and brewing interests in
Great Britain, France, and the
Scandinavian countries, where the
fight is now progressing, will seize
upon the startling excerpts Of the
Attorney Generals report and
propaganda it as an Official
summary Of conditions in the
United States.
Shake-Up Seen.
On the heels of the Daugherty
report came today renewed rumors
of an impending shake-up in the
prohibition enforcement division.
and the early retirement of Roy
A. Haynes as director.
The White House threw cold
water on the rumors, but they
persisted nevertheless, and under
the surface there appeared to be
considerable basis for them.
1t is an open secret in Wash
ington that Secretary of the Treas
ury Mellon, under whose depart
ment the prohibition bureau works,
has strongly disapproved OF some
Of Haynes policies particularly
that policy which led the Bureau
to employ press agent and flood
newspaper offices in the capital
with glowing ~; - Of the
effectiveness Of enforcement.
Secretary Mellon. too. has dis
approved OF the frequent travelling
Of Maj. Haynes to distant points
to lecture on the moral side OF
prohibition. before churches, so.
cieties, etc. This policy of the
prohibition director also has been
frequently criticised in Congress.
In any event, the flood of pub
licity which has daily emanated
from Director Haynes office for
year past. has suddenly stopped.
Whether II stopped at the insti-
cation of Major Haynes superiors