Evening star., 1923-10-19
GOVERNORS PARLEY
EMPHATICALLY DRY

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CONTINUED from First Page.)
urday when ne meets. for a confer
ence on prohibition enforcement. the
governors who have been in session
here since Wednesday.
The writer has just concluded a
series of interviews on prohibition
with the state executives who gath
cred here. There were twenty-eight
governors, besides one acting gov
ernor and one representative Of a
governor who could not attend. The
list included two territorial gov
| ernors-S ,ott c. Bone of Alaska and
w r. Harrington OF Hawaii.
Twenty-eirht talked freely. one was
uncommunicative and ore could not
| be reached.
Twcrty-one Back Coolidge Pban.
Twenty-one of the twenty-eight
lined up with practical unanir1ity for
| ca rryiug ont whatever enforcement
program President Coolidge might
suggest In the Saturday conference.
ment," but In the class with Gov.
! Pinchot of Pennsylvania, whose recent
| statements on prohibition have placed
| the problem very much on the White
House doorstep.
The remaining four said they be-
| ifevad in enforcement of whatever
laws were placed on the statute
| books. but they were openly antag-
ontstic to the Toistead act. One of
| these, Gov. John J. Blaine. repub-
attend the Washington conference.
declaring he has other engagements
/ which are more important" and
| which were made before the Presi-
dent summoned the state executives
to discuss prohibition at the Capital.
| 1t may. or may not he. significant
1 that the three governors in the
I IinChot class are three men who
| Moose movement OF 1912 They are
Gov. Pinchot. Gov. John NJ Parker OF
Louisiana and Gov. J. NJ. Dixon OF
! Montana.
! raeonistic are George g. SIzer OF
| New Jersey. J. a. o. Preus of Min
ncsota. John }. Blaine Of Wisconsin
and Warren r. McCray of Indiana.
Want Cooperation.
I Some Of the twenty-one who will
! be receptive to anything that Presi-
| dent Coolidge may suggest are
tion between state and federal au-
thorities-indeed. there are at least
| FIVE who. IL they get an opportunity
! to talk. Will urge upon Mr. Coolidge
| more active cooperation hy the fed
eral officials than has yet been given.
! For instance. Percival baxter of
: Maine believes IL would help In his
state. which has long coast line
| to guard against smugglers. II at
least two dcstrocers were assigned
from the United States Navy.
| 1t is an interesting fact that. with
of
Louisiana. the solid democratic south
will be with the President. lock, stock
| and barrel
Practically all the receptive twenty
/ tion that President Coolidge himself
should take over the job of enforcing
| prohibition.
| Comments of the governors who
will stand behind the President fol-
| low:
William w. Brandon, Alabama: "of
course. believe in state rights and
therefore I think the prohibition
| question is one for the states to de-
eide. However. am for enforcement
, OF any law that Is on the books.
, We have n state constabulary In my
to the national authorities"
/ j. r. Hinkle. New Mexico: I'VE will
! cooperate wish the federal author.
| ties In any plan that can he devised
. tOf DetIer enforcement. Inere mas
! been some trouble in my state. OF
, course. but we are going as we'll as
! any other state"
| Clifford Walker. Georgia: we are
! overwhelmingly for prohibition. FIT.
! ty-hve state senators at the last ses.
! sion voted unanimously against a
| house resolution to let In light wines
/ and beer. We are againgt any iota
! for letting up. There should be closest
! and most harmonious cooperation
between state and national govern
| ments."
f. F. Morgan, West Virginia
| There should be no question as to
what official should act first. 1t is not
much of problem in our state. which
| is for the law. True, it is a national
! the nation. / believe in closest co.
| operation"
| Thomas s. Mcleod. South Carolina
There should not be any talk about
cooperation. 1t should be taken a:
most is more federal officers"
! TrInitie Gives Views.
E. l.. Trinkle. Virginia: ''we have
! been dry for years. There is closer
Incorporation between state and fed.
| eral authorities than ever before. We
have not much trouble, because we
have learned how"
! r.. A. Nestos, North Dakota: with
over 400 miles of international bound.
ary, we should have more federal aid
but we are cooperating in every way
and will continue to give the Presi.
dent all we have"
| Austin Peay. Tennessee: There
could not be any closer cooperation
But IL the President can show US q
better way to enforce prohibition, w,
will adopt the suggestion"
p. NJ. ,Neff, Texas: THE Constitu
1 tion gives concurrent powers to stat,
and nation in such a matter. Talk o
initiative by one or the other is non.
! sense. Just as in any violation o.
law. county, state and municipal au
thorties should act regardless"
Charming NJ. Cox, Massachusetts
i II am consistent. Law is law. En-
!foreement of law Is a duty. / will Civ,
| President Coolidge all ! have"
Arthur NJ. Hyde, Missouri: "Oul
state has it's own enforcement act
and we are doing our best to. execut,
that and the federal statute. We will
/ continue to do So"
sees No Need for Parley.
A. J. Qroesbeck, Michigan: "Ther,
really should be no need for such
conference. 1t seems strange that w,
must meet to discuss enforcement o
o. law. presume the real thing is I,
Il learn the best way TO enforce Il"
! Charles r. Mabry, Utah; at is th,