Evening star., 1923-10-15

ell
hlndered the enforcement of the pro-
hfbition law, particularly in the Pitts
burg district of Pennsylvania, was
made by Rev. Charles Zanisher. ex-
ecutive secretary of the Federation Of
Churches OF Pittsburgh, Pa. He in
sisted that mysterious influences" at
Washington had been at work, and
declared the churches should have an
agency here TO gather the facts
Dealing particularly with the Pitts
burgh district situation, Dr. Zanisher
said:
Wed like to know why the United
States district attorney in our district
should be notorious wet, appointed
over our vigorous protests, and why
the assistant district attorney also
should be Il wet. We should like to
know why big politicians are never
prosecuted for violations of the liquor
laws, and why big cases that have
been started, have been nolle pressed
Says Beer Floods In.
Pittsburgh IS being flooded with
beer from Philadelphia and other
cities to the east. This beer is sold
TO the distributors for $50 barref.
The brewers get $AS a barrel for Il
and the cost of transportation is 81
getting the other $50 per barrel?" ,
The Disregard of Law and the
College and University Students" was
the subject of an address by Rev Dr.
Clarence A. Barbour. president of
the Rochester Theological Seminary.
DIR. Barbour told the conference
that the open disregard of the Con-
stitution and the prohibition law was
having n bad effect upon the youth
of the country. in the colleges and
Vp 10 L
ideals. Too many easy-money mil
lionaires resulted from war condi-
tions.; too many men are riding
around in Imousines today paid for
out of the proceeds OF Illicit liquor
traffic, he said. These are bad ex-
amples for the students, who need
to learn that the success of life is
to be gained only by patient, per-
sistent and honorable toll.
Sees Threat to Nation.
How wonderful our boys were
during the war;" said DR.. Barbour.
Yet this thing which we speak of
here today is destroying the heroic.
We have gone back to greed and
avarice, and 1t is bound to have its
effect on our student bodies, unless
checked.
we have large undigested for
eign population; We have an unfair
distribution of profits and great
wealth; we have mad excess in the
matter of amusements, and we have
wide disobedience OF the law. The
danger is that these things may steal
away our birthright. The student
youth is the hope of the republic,
and we must not shut our eyes to the
situation"
The conference will meet this after
noon at 2:30 o'clock. in the First Con-
gregational Church. and tonight at s
O'Clock, in the ballroom of the Raleigh
Hotel, its final session.
Bornh to Speak.
Senator Borah of Idaho and Bishop
George c. Clement of Louisville, KY.
and Louis Marshall of New York
will deliver addresses at the after
noon session. The night session will
be devoted largely TO business, and
the ALLEGATION of responsibility for
every recommendation approved by
the conference.
DR.. Zahnisher. in his speech, pro-
posed that a fact-finding committee
be appointed in Washington to keep
the churches Informed of the situa-
ton. He said:
Persistent publicity at the hands
of conscientious Christian leadership
Is one thing the enemies of public
welfare can never stand. They love
the darkness rather than the light,
just because their deeds are what
they are.
"One thing we need now in the
matter of prohibition is some kind of
machinery and program that will do
for US in national way what the
churches have learned to do together
In these communities. From every
side there comes the complaint that
success in local efforts is blocked at
Washington.
Declares Efforts Blocked.
"Just when a local enforcement
squad becomes effective somebody at
Washington decides there is need of
a change in personnel for the good
of the service Just when a strong
case has been worked up against
powerful offenders, mysterious infiu-
ences begin to work from Washing
ton and the case withers away. Just
when some official is shown up in our
local communities as inexcusably fall
ing to get results, the case goes to
in endless red tape.
1--WE get all sorts of explanations.
cross references and alibis
ad nauseam. but we don't get results!
are the facts. We are weary of
camoufiage and smoke screen and
alibi.
churches can rely to start the busi-
ness of giving us the facts from,
Washington. We don't want 1t from
any administration trying to defend
itself, nor from its enemies trying to
destroy it. We want IL from an
agency of our own kind that will
stand like the old-time prophet on the
wall and cry aloud. We want lit to
be plain and explicit. We want 1t to
find out just who IS responsible in
each case and to cry, Thou art the
man. Then back in our communi-
ties we'll help attend to that man.
Give us this from Washington aid
give US such organizations in every
community. and prohibition win pre-
vail"