Evening star., 1923-01-04
WOMEN HISS DRY
NOTE OF PRESIDENT
Molly Pitcher Club ReneWS
Demand for Hearing on
Repeal of Law.
Nv the Assoriated Press.

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, January 4.-Members of
the Molly Pitcher Club. some of them
prominent society and club women, in
duIged in period of kissing when 1t
was announced at a club luncheon that
President Harding had declined to meet
a delegation named to lay before him
the clubs argument for repeal of the
prohibition amendment
The storm burst when Ransom H.
GiIlett, counsel for the New York divi-
sion of the association opposed to the
prohibition amendment, read excerpts
from letter from the President giving
as grounds for his refusal to meet the
women his belief that 'it is a futile
thing to expect the repeal of the amend
ment" and that such an interview could
only result in controversial publicity
and create a suspicion that the federal
government is not in good faith endeaV-
oring to enforce the prohibition laws.
The club made public part OF the
Presidents letter and gave out a newly
adopted resolution arguing against the
validity of his objections to the inter-
view and renewing the request that the
delegation be received. The resolution
also reminded the President that he
recently had received a church delega-
ton ito discuss prohibition"
Sees Danger to Republic.
Mr.. Gillett. speaking of the Presi-
dents refusal to see the delegation, de-
clared that when the chief executive
of this republic cannot receive any del
egation to discuss any topic as provided
for under the Constitution. then the re-
public is in danger
He then quoted from the Presidents
letter:
Ordinarily I would receive any dele
I n
make it a rule to find time for an au-
dience with any delegation whose mem
bers desire to present to the President
a pressing problem of government.
Frankly, however, L do not believe it
would be an opportune time just now
to receive a delegation which aims to
give expression to it's hostility to the
eighteenth amendment. 1t is such a
futile thing to expect the repeal of the
amendment that l doubt the wisdom of
giving an interview which can only Ie-
suit in controversial publicity and Gre
ate a suspicion that the federal govern
lnent is not in good faith endeavoring
to enforce the prohibition laws"
When the Kissing which followed, had
subsided, Miss Alice Carpenter, execu-
tive secretary of the club. presented a
resolution, addressed to the President,
which was unanimously adopted.
1t read in part:
Whereas. women in New York know
better perhaps than women in any other
place the conscientious, earnest and
active efforts the federal government is
continually making to enforce the lro-
hibition law, whenever at the expense
of other lawS-we see our jails full and
our criminal courts crowded with prose-
cutions of citizens. in an endeavor to
keep up with the activities of the fed
eral authority and our own police force
in efforts to enforce the law.
Conditions Called Alarming.
sA
disgraceful and alarming state of af-
fairs should be brought to the atten-
ton of the President of the United
States. for when jails are full and
criminals are multiplied by the opera
ton of any law there is something
wrong either with the law or with the
people who live under it.
"And, therefore, be it further re-
solved, That if this nation continues in
a governmental policy of enforcing
sumptuary legislation through the me-
dunn of a centralized authority at Wash
ington, our Constitution will be de-
sfrOyed and Our free CON-