The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-10-22
METHOD|STS co
To PINCHOT' 5
SUPPORT
NJ. E. Temperance Board Joins
in Demand Coolidge En-
force Dry Law.
By GEORGE r. HOLMES,
international News Service.

On the heels of the departing
governors who attended the pro-
hibition conference at the White
House Saturday, came renewed
pressure today to compel" Presi.
dent Coolidge to assume personal
command of dry law enforcement.
Gov. Clifford Pinchot of Pennsyl-
vania first suggested that Coolidge
accept personal responsibility for
enforcing the Volstead law, and he
reiterated it last night in a parting
fling at the orgy of lawlessness, !"
which the Federal Government, he
said, seems powerless or unwilling
to check.
Commissioner Haynes is an hon.
est man and a man of ability. He
IS a sincere prohibitionist, and if
permitted could do the country a
service. He is not being permitted -
The board then proceeded to make
four recommendations to President
Coolidge as to how he could solve
the prohibition problem:
Say It's Up to Coolidge.
1.-THE thing has been checked up
to President Coolidge. He is an
law enfovced. The time has come
for him to see that it is enforced
and to see to it personally. There
are several things he could do.
Methodists Join Attack.
Today the board of temperance,
Prohibition and Public Morals of
the Methodist Episcopal Church
took up Governor Pinchot's battle
cry and accompanied it with a de-
mand that Secretary of the Treas
ury Andrew w. Mellon, Internal
Revenue Commissioner David II.
Blair, and Assistant Prohibition
Commissioner James Jones be re.
Ieved of connection with prohibition
enforcement.
The board said in a formal state
ment:
HE could favor the creation
OF the prohibition Unit as 2 separate
bureau, with q real proh!bitionist
having real power at the head of it,
one who can be held responsible
for results.
2-Or he could replace the.
present Commissioners of Internal
Revenue BLAIR with a fighting pro-
hibitionist. letting the new commits
sioner and Haynes reconstruct the
unit, cleansing it of politics and
WorSe-f worse should be dis
covered.
Ask FIatfoOted Support.
"3IHe could come out fIatfoote,l
IN support of the prohibition law,
not Just because it is the law but
because prohibition is an American
policy now, henceferth and forever.
the policy of "a prohibition country
over which floats a prohibit on
flag, a policy which has indicated
itself despite the assaults of semi
reasonable forces.
a. He could pass the word down
the line to the American people
from the highest to the lowest that
the Government is determined to en-
force this law, that it will be en-
forced on Broadway and in the
distant hollows of remote noun
tains.
"No President in modern times"
concluded this remarkable state
ment, has had a greater oppor-
tunity than Calvin Coolidge.
Meanwhile, official Washington
Rerve the effects of the governors
conference.
Score Buck Passing"
Under the program adopted, the |
governors are to call Statewide |
meetings of prosecuting attorneys.
chiefs of police, law officers of all |
kinds. to map out local enforcement |
campaigns. Some of the governors
will call such conferences, others |
were quite frank in saying privately |
they considered them unnecessary
and useless. !
At least three of the governors
were publicly outspoken in their re.
sentiment at what they termed Fed
oral buck passing" These were
Smith of New York, Ritchie OF
Maryland. and Morrison of North
g. ara. The governor of North
Carolina, while in favor Of the dry
law. onsidered it's enforcement to
be a Federal problem and one that
could not be saddled on the individ.
EaI States.
The ultimate effect of the gov
ernors conference on the enforce.
rlent problem cannot yet be gauged,
officials said today. Some believe
1t will have no effect whatsoever.
while others believe that its prin.
cipal effect will be the awakening
of public discussion and the focus
sing Of public attention upon the
present widespread lawlessness with
the result there will be stricter en-
forcement In most parts of the
country.