Evening star., 1923-12-24
OFFICIALS, AROUSED
OVER MISSING LIST.
TO PUSH DRY PROBE
Secretary of Polish Embassy
Owner of Liquor Police
Tried to Seize.
STAYTON DEMANDS ALL
NAMES BE PUBLISHED
Wheeler Directs Energies to Un-
covering Lost Roster
Of Buyers.

dal, which originated from q modest
police raid, gives promise of devel-
oping a sweeping inquiry into Oft
repeated charges of liquor drinking
in high places.
The sudden disappearance Of q
portentous list of customers taken
during the raid resulted in insistent
demands from several quarters today
for an explanation.
There were indications that the
district attorneys office, which has
threatened to prosecute those whose
names appeared on the list. would
investigate thoroughly why the evil
dence vanished into thin air. and that
the demands for an inquiry would be
taken up in Congress immedia tely after
the holiday recess.
Meantime both the financial back
Ing of the bootlegger ring involved
and the actual source of its liquor
supply are under investigation by
government of the District of Column
bia.
An effort will be made to connect
prominent banking interests with the
financing of the project, and an in
qutry already has been made of the
State Department as to the immunity
of liquor stock which the police
Intervention of an official of foreign
legation
Belonged to Polish Omcial.
Some of the liquor suspected by
police officials of belonging to the
stock of the ing was stored in the
cellar of q private house here, but
when a police squad broke into the
place and were about to carry the
wet goods away they were informed
that it belonged to DR.. Venceslas
Sokolowski, first secretary of the
Polish legation.
Or. Sokolowski subsequently pro-
duced permits showing that the liquor
had been obtained by him through
the regular channels provided In the
law for insuring supplies to the rep
resentatives here of foreign govern
ments.
The stock whose seizure thus was
intercepted was estimated by police
officials today to be worth $4,000.
The police indicated that no further
move on their part seemed possible,
and both the legation and the State
Department appeared to regard the IN
cident as closed.
AS result the liquor actually
taken into custody In the case
amounts to exactly fifteen quarts.
seized in an automobile which the
police declare belonged to one OF the
runners. held in readiness by the ring
to fill rush orders. At headquarters
Of the organization IN a aI,.a dIwnto@n omn
Gals claim to have taken sufflcent
existence of a gigantic syndicate.
Elmer L. Trey, chief of the special IN
telligence unit Of the Treasury De-
partment, now in charge of the case,
today reafirmed his denial OF knowl-
edge of the list. and announced that
he would welcome all co-operatlon
toward obtaining 1t.
Commissioner James F. Oyster. who
initiated the investigation, refused to
affirm or deny personal knowledge
concerning the list today. Last week,
he said, he had been informed by in
vestigators of the existence of a list
and had been invited to look over
some names on 1t, but he said today
that list might have been co-consplra,
tors engaged actually in the alleged
machine for furnishing liquor to
thirsty Washingtonians.
Police Are Snenced.
Lieut.. Davis. chief Of the vice squad,
refused to discuss the situation to-
day, giving as his reason request
from, the office of the district attor-
ney to allow all information concern
ing the case to come through that
agency.
"All information and records in this
case" declared Chief Trey of the spe-
cial investigators today. will be
turned over to the district attorney.
Where we have information that
may develop evidence tending toward
prosecution Of buyers as we'll as
sellers of the liquor we Will hasten
to give such information to the DIS
trict attorney, regardless Of the prom
inence Of those involved
Wayne B. Wheeler, general coun-
sci of the Anti-Saloon League, an
nounced that all possible steps are
being taken to locate the list for the
Investigators and that If 1t is discov-
cred the full support Of his organi-
cation will be thrown toward the
proposition of putting those who buy
liquor behind the same cell bars as
those who sold it..
StaytOn Demands Publicity.
Demands for publication Of the
names have come from w. H. Stay
ton, founder and executive head Of
the Association Against the Prohibi-
tion Amendment. who made public
letter written by him to Prohibition
Commissioner Haynes asking author
ization by him Of "a complete and
unexpurgated list Of the names which
have been found in the cipher code
of the alleged dispensers OF Illicit
liquors in Washington. without fear
or favor"
Following the announcement by
Commissioner oyster that police were
by no means finished with this case
and that further DEVELOPMENTS might
conference with Maj Sullivan, chief
of police; Lieut. Davis, head Of the
vice squad, and James l. Asher, pro-
hibition agent.
Another Drive Presaged.
1t was indicated that this presaged
another big drive against wholesale
liquor sellers in the District. An at
tempt to connect up several prom
inent persons in Illicit liquor traffic
in Washington is expected to result
from this. conference.
This morning another organization
announced interest in this case. when
Virgil G.. Hinshaw, chairman of the
prohibition national committee and
superintendent of the World Prohibi-
tion and Reform Federation stated
that the federation would join in the
undertaking for the prosecution of
the 1000 purchasers of alcoholic bev-
erages who had acted in the capacity
OF conspirators with the bootleggers
and become liable to the penalty of
two years Imprisonment and $1,000
fine.
"There is a certain class of people
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