The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1923-10-26
NEWS REVIEW OF
CURRENT EVENTS
President and Governors Discuss
Ways Of Enforcing the
Prohibition Law.
LLOYD GEORGE on GERMANY
BY EDWARD w. PlckARD

"a
BY EDWARD w. PlckARD
TJOW our laws can be enforced, es-
1 i pecially the prohibition law, is
exercising the minds Of great many
Americans these days. A citizenship
conference on the subject has just
been held in Washington under the
auspices Of the Federal Council Of
Churches Of Christ In America, and.
SO far dis the volstead act is concerned,
the addresses Of some Of the eminent
conferees developed q decided differ
ence Of opinion. Governor Pinchot of
Pennsylvania, calling the present state
of things whisky rebellion" bluntly
laid the blame for the lack Of its sup
preston at the doors Of the White
House. He charged the federal en-
forcement service with ineficiency and
held it responsible for the flood of IL
legal liquor that Is pouring into local
communities. He said the government
agents, in his belief, not only winked
at violations Of the law but in many
eases acted as graft collectors. He
held politics chiefly responsible for
the ''black disgrace" asserting that in
state after state the bills of the domi-
nant party-Democratic or Republican
were paid for years by the liquor in
terests; and he did not spare the sup
posedly respectable citizens who pat
ronize the bootleggers and thus main
tain the industry.
'"The President" declared Mr.. Pin
chot, 'is the only man who can meet
the present emergency. It is idle to
suggest that the laws cannot be en-
forced. That the government of the
United States. the most powerful ma
ton on earth, with the people over
whelmingly behind it, is powerless be-
fore few thousand, or few hundred
thousand, of asserted lawbreakers Is
simply unthinkable. The fact is, we
have never really tried"
Some people. notably former Gov
ernor Allen of Kansas, disagreed with
this pronouncement Of Pinchot's, and
a good many Of the Presidents warm
est supporters thought the Pennsyl-
vanian had unfairly broken the ''gen-
tlemen's agreement" to permit the
President to demonstrate his ability to
run the government satisfactorily be-
fore any other Republican hats should
be cast into the nomination ring. They
said Pinchot, recognized as presi-
Dental possibility, was trying to put
Mr.. Coolidge on the defensive.
Mr.. Coolidge himself, however, did
not appear In the least worried over
the situation. Imperturbable as usual,
he waited for the opening of the con-
ference Of the governors of the states
In Washington Saturday, and then set
before that gathering what he thinks
is the common-sense view of the prob
lem of prohibition enforcement. With
out replying directly to Governor Pin
chots charges, he pointed out that an
extraordinary change in the habits of
the American people cannot be
wrought in few years; that complete
prohibition will require time and
long process Of education; that to Inn
prove conditions there must be a gen.
eral tightening up of all government
agencies. federal, state and municipal.
Before going to Washington the gov
ernors met in West Baden, Ind. There,
too. they discussed prohibition, and
many of them, especially those from
the South. expressed the opinion that
the dry law should be enforced by the
states rather than by the federal gov
eminent
IF DAVID LLOYD GEORGE were
1 still prime minister of Great Brit
ain he could not be received with more
honor and acclaim than are being given
him during his tour of American cities.
Everywhere he stops the officials and
eminent citizens welcome him and the
populace turns out to cheer him and
TO hear him. Not all his auditors
agree with all he says, but every Amer
icau--except perhaps a few Sim Fem
ers and pro-Germans who really are