Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1923-06-25
WILL EMF FORCE
LIQUOR LAWS
President Harding Serves Mo-
tice that Government Stands
for Strict Enforcement
SPEAKING AT DINNER
Voices Conviction that ProFis
bition Amendment Will
Never be Repealed *

DENVER, June %. President
Harding served notice in an address
here today that the federal govern
ment was determined to enforce the
prohibition law even should the bur>
den of enforcement continue to be
increasingly thrown upon it by thaE'
states.
Moreover, the executive voiced the
conviction not only that the prohibi
ton amendment will not be repealed4
but that whatever changes may be
made in the Volstead Act will rep<
resent the sincere purpose of effecs
tive enforcement, rather than moder%
alton of the general policy"
Striking straight out at those Who
violate the law, the President said
the issue is fast coming to be recog-
nized not as one between the ,wetst
and "drys," but as one of whether
the laws of this country can be ana
will be enforced"
$50 far as the federal government
is concerned, "he said, ''and l am
very sure also, so far as concerns the
very great majority of the state goE-
ernments and the local governments<
it will be enforced A gratifying.
4IQttQ II may 1dMt9 Dt 44&ttH
amazing progress has been made in
the last years toward better enforce-
ment."
While Mr.. Harding made no di<
rect reference to the situation
New York state, he tifi saE - za<-& ~ --ss-rii7 y
spectacle" of a state nulIifying ito
own authority, and asking the ma
tional sovereignty to take over an
M Of
He added that when the implica-
tions of this strange proposal ars
fully understood by people and par
ties devoted to preserving the rights
of the states, the new qualifications
lists, venture TO say, will discoveri
that they have perpetrated what is
likely TO prove one of the historic
blunders in political management
The President disclosed that
good deal of testimony is reaching
Washington that some states having
prohibition enforcement codes and
even some which successfully en-
forced dry" laws before national
prohibition are disposed to abdicate
their own police authority in this
matter and to turn over the burden
of prohibition enforcement to the
federal authorities.
Doubtless" he said, this is large
ly due to a misconceived notion. too.
widely entertained, that the federal
government has actually taken over
the real responsibility. The sact is
quite the contrary. The federal gav-
ernment is not equipped with in
strumentalities to make enforcement
locally effective. It does not main-
tain either a police or a Judicial es-
tablishment adequate TO or designed
for such a task. If the burden Of
enforcement shall continue to be iflS
ereasingly thrown upon the Federal
government, it will be necessary, at
large expense, TO create a federal po-
lice authority which in time will in-s
evitably come to be regarded as ans
Intrusion upon and Interference WITH
the right of local authority to man-3
age local concerns. The possibilities
Of disaster in such a situation hard-f
ly need to be suggested. Yet II isl
something that we must recognize as1
among the menaees in this situa-S
ton.
THE federal government ought tdl
perform, in connection with the en-S
forcement Of this policy. those func-s
ions which are obviously within it's
proper province. These are compiled
ance in all its aspects as it relates tot
International commerce, the impnr-a
tation and expectation of LIQUORS. the
collection of federal revenue, fhs
prevention of smuggling, and in gen
eral the enforcement of the law
within the proper realm of federal
authority. But the business of local
enforcement, by states and cities,
ought to be in the hands of the state
and local authorities, and it should
be executed in all sincerity and good
faith, as other laws are presumed to
be executed.