The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-15
PROHIBITIONS FAIL LIRE SAYS Gcv. P|NCHOT
Attributes It to "No Sincere
 Effort Made To Enforce It,"
 Because Of Bribe Taking By
 Agents, And Also To Politics CONSIDERS STATE HELP ALSO POLICE USELESS Sees Solution In Proper Fed
 eral Enforcement Of Consti-
 tution And Suppression Of Criminals Now In Business

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14.--The pro- hibition law measured by the respect accorded it, has failed, Governor Pinchot of Pennsylvania told the citizenship conference here today, because mo sincere, intelligent and concerted nationwide effort had been made to enforce it." because federf agents have collected bribes aad bseause politics is at the root of tbe ee}t
 Nc one less than the President of the Unted States himself, Governor Pinehot declared, could meet the present emergency because the Pres ident alone can bring all government forces into a concerted attack on Vio- lators.
 The thing that has protected the liquor criminal from the law" said Governor Pinchot, lis politics. Poli- second, has been the order. Bad whisky with beer to help has sup piled the sinews of war for bad poli- tics and politics has returned the favor."
 Taking Pennsylvania for an ex- ample, Governor Pinchot declared that the present federal prohibition director in that state was the first to whom the state might look for real results.
 Euforcemcnt Agents Handicapped.
 Honest prohibition enforcement agents, the governor charged, were handicapped, because the most ele- mentary principles of good business management have been ignored in the organization of the government for enforcement york;"
 Assailing the manner of organiza- ton by which authority descends from the President to the Secretary of the Treasury and thence to the committee of internal revenue. Gov ernor Plnchot declared:
 What is needed is an organiza- tion in which responsibility is def1- ntely centered; one in which the buck cannot be passed and over which the chief executive of the na- tion can exercise immediate direction and control Such an arrangement should be only temporary for the President already is heavily burden ed and nothing should be added to his load without serious reason.
 But the fact is that the attack on the constitution and laws of our country is one of the most serious in our history. Disregard for all law is more effectively spread by the failure of the enforcement service
 
 facts taken together furnish abund- ant reason for treating this mat ter as of sufficient Importance tc enlist the active direction of the President himself. He alone, in my opinion. can met the emergency. Bootiegging In Washington.
 There is another reason why the President should take personal charge Not only has the political hamstring of the federal enforce ment service had its seat in Wash ington but it is notorius that dis obedience to the Eighteenth amend ment has been fragrant in the capital city Stories are innumerable of the active practice and encouragement or law breaking by officials high in the government of the United States. We cannot expect other communities to respect and obey the law if the capi- tai of the nation itself is leader among the law breakers Washing ton has set the bad example: it is for Washington to repair the damage.
 Tt is foolish to expect the state and municipal police officers to cope with floods of illegal liquor let loose by the failure of federal agents to dam the flood at it's source. Fed eral permission is required to ex- port whisky which is smuggled back into the country for sale. It's brew cries OperallHS uHuci lcuSie CT " mits that are flooding the country with high power beer. The whole system of permits as well the regu- lations governing business under them should be revised and brought down to date in the light of the last three years experience.
 "We must insist on the complete separation of politics from the en- forcement of the Eighteenth amend ment The issue is clear before us and the outcome is assured. No band of criminals ever has or ever Will defeat our government and our peo- ple'