, 1923-10-21
DRIVE ON VETS
IS ENDORSED BY
GOVERNORS Of
LEADING States
Seven-P oint Program Is
Mapped Out for Law
Enforcement Through
Aid Of All Agencies.
By FRASER EDWARDS

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20.
President Coolidge today Sc
cured the adoption by the
governors conference at the
White House of a sweeping
seven point program enlist
ing and co-ordinating the support
of virtually every official authority
in the country-federal. state. mu-
nicipal and county-in the enforce
ment of the prohibition laws.
The adoption by the conference OF
this program followed an address
by President Coolidge in which the
chief executive of the nation en-
phasized that the states must nc.
cept their fun measure OF responsi.
bility in the enforcement of the
laws.
The program OF the conferences
follows;
state. county and municipal forces.
2. Call upon the press to support
prohibition law enforcement. stress
law Observance. n treat tho en-
forcement program commemorate
with h gravity of lawlessness.
3. Call conventions OF municipal,
county n state enforcement off.
cials at n convenient date TO discuss
and adopt a program for tho state
the federal department pledginE
every possible support to these SON
ventions.
4. Call upon the prosecuting at.
torneys in the various districts OF
the state to confer on this problem,
pledsing support with every facility
to aid in such discussions.
8. Adopt whatever means arc
practicable TO cause lawless citizens
and aliens to respect the majesty
and sanctity Of tho law. and TO re-
spect the various agencies enforc-
ing Il.
6. Cooperation by national au.
thorities in all these activities.
At the suggestion of Governor
Preus of Minnesota a seventh point
was added as follows:
I. Educate the children on tenn.
perance.
The adoption Of this program by
the conference was regarded "a n
victory for President Coolidge. The
1870 iSAAA bAObIdIh WIS QODfc
by unanimous consent but there
was no roll call vote.
Governor Richie of Maryland, an
avowed wet, was thoroughly angry,
however, at what he declared was
nm attempt on the part of the pres.
ldent to cut short discussion after
the government had made its case.
The selection OF four known dry
governors as spokesman for the
state executive also was bitterly
criticised by Governor Smith and
Governor Silzer. They commended
that governors known to be opposed
to tho Volstehd act. in its present
form. should have also been called
upon.
The Maryland governor created
something OF a sensation in the con.
ference. 1t was learned, when he dc.
nounced the Volstead net as an In.
vasion Of states rights.
Following the conference Ritchle
went to n newspaper office and die.
tated n portion OF his remarks for
the press as follows.
THE Volstead act is only part Of
a federal invasion OF tho rights OF
the states which strikes hard Mt the
p~ocketbooks of every citizen and
imposes a burden which has grown
to intolerable proportions and IL
still growing.
II think that this conferenc.
should organize itself to study this
basic question, and particularly 10
discuss what present and contem-
p'ated activities OF the federal gov.
ernment could DO carried on by tho
states themselves more satisfactorily
and In better accord with the spirit
OF u institutions; so that we could
then exert our influences upon our
representatives in congress to make
effective the conclusions we reach
for the benefit OF our people.
o h subject OF prohibition en-.
forcement alone this conference will
fail and NIL other similar confer.
onces viii fail. ms long as they re-
fuse to face the basic question
whether or not prohibition enforce.
ment should be turned back TO the
states Themselves. 1t is futile TO
call or come TO conferences which
evade tho fundamental facts.
That was my belief all the time
of President Harding's conference.
Continued on pags Twol