Evening star., 1923-06-26
LIQUOR FIGHT SURE
INNEXT CONGRESS
Harding's Bold Stand for
Prohibition Fails to Stop
VETS or Drys.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Nothing that President Harding
rays or does with regard to law en-
forcement will prevent comprehen-
sive, and probably bitter, discussion
Of the prohibition question in the
next Congress. Assurances to that
effect come from both dry and wet
leaders. If there were no other in
centive, the controversy over liquor
stores on foreign ships in American
waters OF itself makes certain that
prohibition will bulk conspicuously in
the deliberations of House and Senate
next winter.
There is little belief in any quarter
that modification of the Volstead act
is in sight. 1t will be proposed and
acrimoniously advocated. But not
even the most ardent devotee of light
wines and beer considers that they
have any real chance. There has been
a pretty careful count of noses in the
incoming Congress, and the consensus
OF opinion is that it is dryer than its
predecessor"
DryS Oppose LOngwOrth.
The organized prohibition forces of
the nation are alive, nevertheless, to
the ircvitabilty of an attempt to un-
dermine the existing liquor laws. A
straw which indicates their vigilance
is the opposition of the Anti-Saloon
League to the candidacy of Repre-
sentative Nicholas Longworth of
ONO for the republican leadership of
the House. Mr.. LongWorth ranks as
Il wet. Republican members at least
ar" BEING urged by Anti-Saloon
League leaders to oppose his candi-
GacE on the ground that the prohibi-
tfouist cause might be endangered in
Il ilouSc controlled by so slim ma
jority as the q. o. j. Will have.
Vets throughout the country have
been pinning confident hopes on New
JERSEYS newly elected democratic
United States senator, former Gov.
Edward l. Edwards. It will be re-
called that MIR. Edwards campa gned
on the slogan of making Jersey as
wet as the Atlantic ocean" The men
and women who voted for him in No
Nember. 1922, received the impression
from his speeches that he purposes
tearing things loose" at Washington
In the direction of amending the Vol
stead act.
Edwards Is Reserved.
In conservation with the writer
this week Senator Edwards spoke
with reserve. One of the things to
which h" may direct his attention is
an investigation of the parliamentary
circumstances under which the Vol
stead law was nut over" Senator
Edwards declares there is a consid-
cradle mass of evidence that grave
illegalities" occurred in the tabula-
tion Of the vote in Congress. He in
tends probing them To the bottom and
demanding appropriate action if it
is justified.
Come what may" said Senator Ed
wards, the prohibition proposition
cannot be left where it is. | don [
think even our dry friends will con-
tend the existing situation is salts
factory. There is discomfort on all
hands. and it is breeding turmoil and
hypocrisy- to say nothing of lawlesS-
ness. which. can only be suppressed,
in my judgment, by a sweeping re-
consideration Of the whole business.
People gay the country at large is
dry. My contention is that the coun-
try at large is dry only in the sense
of being against the saloon, which
is gone forever. l do not think the
country at large is unaltera bly, op-
posed to Notwithstanding beverages
of alcoholic content.
Wet Bills in Making.
Representative James a. Gallivan
(democratp of Massachusetts, one of
the militant wet leaders OF the House,
states that certain legislation de-
signed TO mcdify the Voistead act is
in the making, and will be proposed
its origin. Mr. Gallivan says, in quar-
ters not identified with any of the
existing wet organizations ike the
Association Opposed to the Prohibi-
ton Amendment.
The Boston representative mentions
well known public men from his own
constituency, associated with the
Constitutional Liberty League, as be-
ing in the forefront of the forthcom-
ing modification campaign. Among
them are named Louis a. Coolidge,
Charles. S. Rackemann, John l.. Sal
tonStall. Alexander Whiteside and
Francis Peabody. These crusaders are
said to have in mind something APP
proaching a proposal for complete
submission" Of the prohibition
question to the people. Their grounds
are that proof is ample that the
country is divided as to the merits of
VolstcadiSm in consequence of three
and Il half years practical expert
ence with the enforcement laws.
Ship Liquor an Issue.
Representative George n. Darrow
(repubiCan) of Pennsylvania, a dry
SncE arrpaS with ranrp =