Evening star., 1923-04-08

persons nlSner up III all oiiiS-'i anu
professional" position. whose viola
tions Of the liquor laws made them
matter for serious thought"
Every one has been wondering
what became of the sheaf OF alleged
charges of bootleggers in the Capt.
tol building, which the dry preach
er" congressman from Georgia, Rep
resentative Upshaw. laid on the desk
of Prohibition Commission Haynes
At the time the charges were sub
mitted 1t was explained by prohioi-
tion officials, however. that the mat
ter contained could be considered
only in the nature of information,
such as was obtained from certain
other sources. In fact, il was ad-
mitted that Mr.. Upshaw did not have
any conclusive evidence upon which
federal agents, armed with warrants,
could act in making arrests. So far
as has come to light no actual arrests
have been made in the Capitol build
ing, NOT have any bootleggers been
arrested whose trails could be scented
to Congress.
Saturday night scenes at the police
precincts in the city are heartening TO
the vets One after another the
inebriated ones are booked, but this.
Maj. Sullivan explains. is further evil
dence of increased efficiency of the
poIice. THE police have been ex-
tremely active in the enforcement
of the law" Maj. Sullivan declared.
land are trying to clean the city OF
drunks.'' Not nearly all of the
prisoners, in the opinion of Maj. Sui
livan. are victims of bootleg product.
The homemade variety OF booze, he
thinks. is heavily responsible.
Lured by Rich Reward.
Bootleggers and smugglers. in the
opinion of high officials Of the Treas
ury, are attracted SO strongly by the
rich rewards OF the sprofession" that
they are willing TO run almost any
kind Of a risk. The pull of money is
a strong pull, SO It was only to be
expected that the Illicit dealers would
run races with the prohibition au-
thorities, installing new stills, de-
veloping new channels for business
ana running Hc" AOA eN
money.
The administration has been con-
siderably worried over the prohibi-
ton bogey in the District, which has
genii-like, assumed not only local
proportions, but has expanded like a
black cloud all over the United States.
Scare-head type on front pages OF
newspapers from Maine to the gol-
den gate in Frisco herald forth the
vagaries of the vets, and the country
lends a listening ear for any new
scandal from it's capital. A gain by
prohibition forces in the situation
would receive little notice. The ad-
ministration knows this.
How much gain has actually been
made over the bootlegger in the race
here is problematical. but certain
sharp facts emerge from the phantas-
magoria.
For instance, figures from prohibi-
ton headquarters, made public yes
terday for the first time, show that
comparing the first six months OF
1922 with the last six months of that
year, activities of prohibition agents
in the District have Increased by
two, and In some instances four or
Ave fold, through seizures. arrests
and destruction of property.
Many More Seizures.
The total appraised value OF prop
erty seized and destroyed in the Dis
trict rose from $9,501.50 In the first
half of 1922, to s41,s7S.65 in the sec
frn
to 721; illicit distilleries seized rose
from 20 to 45; Illicit stills seized rose
from As to Al; gallons of spirits
seized rose from 2.629 to 4,773; gal
Ions of malt liquor seized rose from
1888 to 4.064; the number OF auto
mobiles seized, from 81 to 104, and
their value, from $500 to $36.270.
Prohibition authorities claim that
since January / an even sharper in
crease has taken place.
The fight between the vets and
drys, however, is not confined to the
armed prohibition agent and his
equally brave enemy, the bootlegger.
Broadsides of publicity have been
fred by both sides to the argument,
with an increase in the forces on both
sides. and this city as the principal
battle ground.
Looking to the power of the press
as their big guns. both wets and drys
have been feeding all kinds of am
munition to tho group of correspond
ents and news associations here, to be
fired at tho unsuspecting public.
An increase In the number of state
ments from the "wets" who became
officially vocal through the National
Association Opposed to Prohibition,
has been met with a considerable in
crease in the force of Prohibition
Commissioner Haynes publicity force,
Several persons lately have been
added to that ONCE, which turns out
regularly from two to six statements
daily on the fact that day by day in
every way the country is getting drter
and drier."
Numerous church and other orran-
ixations opposed to the LIQUOR traffic
have lately increased their ammuni-
tion Of news releases. and the amount
of resolutions passed by national bod
les Of various sorts concerning prohl-
bition has been on the steady up
grade.
In short, the wet and dry problem Ia
growing livelier and livelier,
Groundwork Is being laid for Presi-
dent Harding's conference of gov
ernors to be held here this spring,
which will again probe the question.
Governors have already heen request
ed to forward copies of their state
they are to b compared and studiAd
nr-eyiouS to tha conferenca