Evening star., 1923-10-20

Continued from First Page)
planned a meeting with the state ex-
ecutives last spring to consider means
of closer cooperation in making the
prohibition laws effective.
Lengthy sessions by some state leg
islatures which would have prevented
attendance of governors caused Mr..
Harding TO postpone the conference.
and Mr.. Coolidge. in assuming the
presidency upon Mr.. Harding's death,
undertook to carry out that plan as
well as other policies of the late
President.
Mr. Coolidge has added to the con-
ference program. however, the con-
sideration of the enforcement of the
immigration and narcotic laws. and
White House officials have taken
pains to emphasize that the meeting
today is not a prohibition conference,
but a law-enforcement conference.
Public interest, nevertheless, has cen
tered about the prohibition question
and prior TO the meeting of the more
.han thirty governors who responded
10 the Presidents invitation it was
generally believed that the greater
part of the discussion behind the
closed doors of the White House east
room would hinge about prohibition.
Parker Leaves Meeting.
The governors, in coming to the
conference. have fresh in their minds
the heated discussion of the prohibit
tion question at the closing session
yesterday at West Baden, Ind, of the
fifteenth annual governors confer
ence. The conference adopted 4 reso-
luton pledging to President Coolidge
| cooperation in the enforcement of
prohibition after stormy debate and
amid a shouting and stamping OF
feet during which Gov. Parker OF
Louisiana left the meeting.
Fresh also in the minds of those
attending the White House confer
ence is the action of the citizenship
conference. held here early in the
week by leading prohibition support
ers, in declaring that the nation looks
to President Coolidge to assert and
maintain the majesty Of the law. This
declaration in effect backed up the
stand taken by Gov. Pinchot Of Penn
sylvania, one of the speakers of the
citizenship conference, that prohibit
ton enforcement was up to the Pres
ident, who should personally super
wise the enforcement activities
Questions Pinehot's Motive.
The Pennsylvania governor, prior
to the conference, had engaged in A
move to close the saloons of Phila-
delphia and this action, together with
his address. have been matters OF
much comment, in view OF the beliei
held by some political observers thai
Mr. pinchot is out to capture the re-
publican presidential nomination from
Mr.. Coolidge next year, if possible:
Breaking into the midst of this DIS
cussion of the prohibition question
Prohibition Commissioner Haynes sew
eral days ago launched big dry drive
in New York, and only yesterday en-
barked on a campaign to stop home
brewing. Public attention was further
riveted on the prohibition issue by pub
.f HH.rif
! the President by August a. Busch OF
Anheiser-Busch, Inc, OF st. Louis, de-
claring that the attempt to enforce the
prohibition laws had corrupted the led-
eral service, uprooted respect Tor an
law and set back many years the
cause of real temperance.
Opinions Differ Widely.
With such developments as back
ground, there is considerable tenseness
about the meeting with the President
of the governors, who include such
outstanding prohibition proponents as
and such recognized anti-prohibition-
lists as Cows. Smith of New York and
Silzer of New Jersey.
Acceptances of the Presidents in
vitation had been received at the
White House last night from thirty
governors of the territories of Alaska
| and Hawaii. Two governors. Walton
of Oklahoma and Pierce of Oregon,
while unable to be present, have
notified the President they will be
represented. Gov. Morrow of Ken
lucky sent word that he would be
, unable to attend because of prior en-
gagements in connection with the
political campaign in that state, and
Gov. McMaster of South Dakota, who
had accepted, yesterday sent a
declination. Cows. Flynn of Rhode
Island and Peay of Tennessee sent
| in their acceptances yesterday.
The discussions are expected to oc-
cupy the entire afternoon and pos
sibiy run into the early evening.
Secretary Mellon and Commissioner
Blair of the internal revenue bureau
will attend the conference, but will
not make extended addresses.