The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-20
Asks Voice At Conference

ST. LOUIS, Mo-. Oct. 19.-In an open letter to President Coolidge which bristles with sensational charges, the famous brewing firm Of Anheuser- Busch, incorporated, de- clared Friday night tAat prohibition has been entirely disregarded by federal and local enforcement units and that prominent prohibition offi- fials had admitted to its representa- tives that corruption in their ranks had made enforcement impossible.
 Tt is now too late to attempt to administer the yolstead act" the let ter said.
 The brewery asked the President that it's representative be allowed to appear Saturday before MT. Cool at the White House and present evA- dence of corruption in the dry forces.
 When we presented evidence of widespread violation of the law to the enforcement department at Washington we were frankly h. formed that the department had be- come so corrupt it could not enforce the law it continued. This in formation was given our representa- tive by former assistant chief of the department in charge of active enforcement"
 Admits Ranks Corrupt.
 "Our representative presented the facts relating to prohibition enforce ment to a regional director in charge of enforcement in four great states. This man was as frank as his supe- rior in Washington, and he, too, de- clared that his department was so corrupt that he could not enforce the law"
 The letter attacked the anti-saloon league, declaring the company has positive knowledge that shortly be- fore the general election of 1922. ten million empty bottles were shipped and Ohio, states iN which the league is strong. Our experience teaches us that no such demand for enormous quantities of bottles arose from an appetite for lawful beverages" the letter comments.
 Pennsylvania Played.
 "The state of Pennsylvania is the most fragrant example of failure to enforce the Volstead act. When in a last final effort to get the law en- forced in that state, We presented the facts to the present prohibition commissioner, he replied that a cer- tain United States senator had just been in his office and was well pleased with conditions in Pennsyl- yania."
 Anheuser- Busch directed a volley at the steel and other industries, de- claring that certain great corpora tion interests deliberately under took to destroy the brewing industry of the United States to serve their own selfish end" and pointing out that within day or two. after the annor ncement thas the Unitec { ltes Steel corporation would yield to .'opu- lar sentiment on the 12-hour day, Judge E. H. Gary in an interview reverted to the prohibition ques- tion." Prohibition. 1t seems, Serves as a convenient smoke screen" the letter said.
 Vigorous Probe Asked.
 The letter asks a "far-reaching and vigorous investigation of campaign contributions, the motives sack of them. and the uses to which they are put" instituted by the government.
 Such an investigation, it is sug- gested, will discover facts that will enlighten the Anne, ican public on the methods of blind lobbies' and at the same time reveal 'how it was that the use of money in politics could have a preponderating influence in persuading state legislatures to over ride the will of the people in ratify- ing constitutional amendments.'
 Seventy-two million American citizens never had an opportunity to express their sentiments at the polls on even statewide prohibition proposition, the letter stated.
 The Nolstead act itself exempts The rich with well stocked cellars from the law, and if the prohibition unit is going to permit certain far vored manufacturers to violate the la'V in order to win their support at the polls to the dry cause or some