Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-10-11
COOLIDGE To GIVE
GOVERNORS BRIEF
CONFERENCE PERIOD
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Oeased Wire Service to The Journal.)
Copyright, 1920

Copyright, 1929
WASHINGTON, Oct. Gov
errors of the several states who have
been invited to confer with the fed
eral government on the subject of
law enforcement will be told what
is wanted by the Washington admin
istration and virtually no time will:
re given for the airing of the views
of the respective governors.
The announcement that the entire
bod of governors would come to the
national capital and would be here
for few hours on the afternoon OF
Saturday, October 20, occasioned
much surprise, owing to the brief
period allowed for such an impor
tant conference, but on investigation
it develops that the federal author
tiles decided they wanted to do all
the talking and wished particularly
to avoid a repetition of what occur
red in the first prohibition confer
ence when one or two of the gov
errors took the limelight and carried
on a discussion of the merits or pro-
hibition itself Politically, there is
no better opportunity for man on
either the wet or dry side Of the
controversy to get publicity than at
a governors conference on the prom
bition question itself.
President Coolidge has let it be
known that he wants the federal gov
ernment's plans for cooperation with
the states 70 be fully explained and
that the object of the conference is
to get the fullest cooperation in law
h.,eI IHrno
conference from its original program
which was to have been devoted to
prohibition alone. Now Mr.. Coolidge
wants all questins of law enforce
ment brought to the attention Of the
governors.
Drys Meeting Also
AS if they were not satisfied with
the amount of time and emphasis
given to prohibition, the dry side
will stage a citizenship conference
at Washington in the days immedl-
ately preceding the governors visit
to Washington. Governor Pinchot,
of Pennsylvania, is to preside, and
there are enough political Subtletles
in this occasion to excite already
good deal of gossip. Mr.. Pinchot is
a potential candidate for the preSI-
dency or vice presidency-hls friends
say they are aiming for first place
only. Mr.. Coolidge hasn't taken as
pronounced stand on prohibition
as has Governor Pinchot. Nor has
the chief executive made himself 100
per cent dry to the satisfaction of
the Anti-Saloon league as did the
late President Harding, who at Den
yer appealed to the people of Amer
ino 10 6rin a
even to give up stocks of liquor they
had lawfully acquired This was
generally regarded as about the most
effective appeal that had come from
the White House since the eighteenth
amendment and the NolStead law
were adopted.
There are those in the "dry" camp
who believe President Coolidge would
gladly have evaded the question of
a governors conference on prohibi-
ton if he could have gracefully done
so. He found out, however, that
President Harding had pledged him
self to call such q conference. Mr..
Coolidge did consider for time a
plan whereby the governors would
not be asked to come to Washington,
but their views solicited and the fed
eral governments plans explained by
an exchange of memoranda. This,
however, was abandoned and the
brief program of few hours in
Washington substituted. Originally,
Mr.. Harding planned a conference
that would have extended over sew
eral days.
Mr.. Coolidge will, of course, speak
at both the citizenship conference
and the governors meeting. He will
have an opportunity to advocate law
enforcement in as general or in as
specific terms as he likes. SO far as
the drys are concerned, he will be on
trial. Will he go as far in the ad.
vocacy of prohibition as does Gov.
ernor Pinchot?
This will be his opportunity to
remove all doubts, for, be it known,
Mr.. Coolidge was at one time an at
torney for brewing interests in
Northampton, Mass, in the days
when the local option fight was at
it's height. Since that time his veto
message on a beer bill passed by the
Massachusetts legislature won the
commentator of the Anti,Saloon
league.
Mr.. Coolidge comes from a state in
which the wet and dry question is
not all One-sided, and there are those
in his own following who wish he
would simply come out for law en-
forcement and let it go at that They
do not want him to become COM
mitted to a program OF no Wodifica-
ton of the existing situation by con-
gress or the states. With most ques-
lions, Mr.. Coolidge can wait till the
December session of congress before
he makes known his views on pend
ing issues. On prohibition he will
have to declare himself Within the