Evening star., 1923-10-21
Seven Plans for State-Fed-
eraI Enforcement Win Ap-
proval of Coolidge.
LAW RAPED
BY RlTCHIE AND SMITH
Maryland Executive Sees Invasion
of Commonwealth's Rights.
President Tells Duty.

A determined program for rigid en-
'orcement of the prohibition laws
that divides the burden OF response
oility between the federal and state
was adopted at the re-.
guest OF President Coolidge yesterday
oy the governors OF thirty-seven
states. who met with him at the
White House.
Told by the President that the
amendment did not excuse
them from remembering their obll-
cation to uphold the Constitution OF
the United States, the state executives
approved the program after Gov. AL
Smith of New York and Gov. Albert
z. Richie of Maryland had launched
spirited attacks upon the Volstead
act.
Points Of Cooperation.
Seven points Of cooperation be-
tween the federal and state govern
l. Coordination OF all federal,
state. county and municipal
forces.
2. To call upon the press to sup
port prohibition law enforcement,
stress law observance and treat
the enforcement program COM
mensurate with the gravity OF
Iawlessness.
3. Call conventions OF municipal,
county and state enforcement
officials at a convenient date to
discuss and adopt a program for
the state, the federal department
pledging every available support
TO these conventions.
Prosecutors to Confer.
4. Call upon the prosecuting at
torneys in the various districts OF
the state TO confer on this prob
lem, pledging support with every
facility to aid in such discussions.
5. Adopt whatever means are
practicable to cause lawless cit
liens and aliens to respect the ma
jesty and sanctity of the law and
to respect the various agencies en-
forcing It.
6. Cooperation by national
authorities In all these activities
Z. Enlisting the influence of the
nations educational Instrumental
ties to teach children the need of
observance of the law.
Richie Attacks Act.
Despite the fact that the sentiment
IF the conference was preponderantly
IN favor of strict enforcement Of the
laws. the meeting was
-icularly when several governors who
voiced frank objections to certain
features OF the statutes observed that
several so-called dry" executives
to be monopoiizing the
aoor.
Gov. Ritchie created mild sensa-
lion when he openly characterized the
yolstead act as part OF a federal
invasion of the rights of the states,
which strikes hard at the pocket
books Of every citizen and imposes
8 burden which has grown to in
proportions and is still
growing" In this statement he was
Indirectly supported by Gov. Smith.
who ventured the belief that the act
s unpopular and "at least" Should
be modified.
Guests at Luncheon.
Thirty-five governors and the OFF,
,ial representatives of two others at
tended the conference. coming to
at the express Invitation
of President Coolidge to consider the
general subject of law enforcement,
as II affects the traffic
N intoxicants, narcotics and i'm
migrants. They reached the White
House at 2 o'clock and were enter
tanned by the President at luncheon.
President Coolidge opened the con-
ference with an address containing
his first public utterance on the uues-
ion of prohibition enforcement. He
answered recent attacks on
ais silence on the subject by putting
up to the governors their full
for local enforcement
II the laws and assuming for himself
he burden of carrying out the federal
part in the task.
Not Political Question.
After explaining that the federal
which he and the gov
srnors alike had sworn to uphold. is
perfectly plain in the duty IL imposes
upon the President and the execu-
lives OF the several states to enforce
the law, President Coolidge told his
guests that enforcement of prohibi-
ton is not a political question and
cannot be made one.
mo provision of the eighteenth
he said. "or the national
act, contemplates any sur
render of state responsibility. Under
them prohibition becomeaeobligatory
N all states, for the Constitution anu
the laws made in pursuance thereof
are specifically declared by the feder-
IL Constitution to be the supreme
law OF the land. But there still re-
mains to the states the power, specif-
cally reserved In the eighteenth
to pass enforcing acts,
and there Is still on them a joint re-
to enact and execute en-
,orcement laws ."
President Coolidge warned the
governors that the great body Of the
American people are law abiding and
are entitled to support and protsc-
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