Evening star., 1924-01-12
j. s. DETERMINES
UPON DRIVE TO DRY
! CAPITAL OR bust"
Best Prohibition SIeuths of
Nation Are Concentrated
7 Here to Clean Up City.
QUARTER TO BE SHOWN
TO NONE IN CAMPAIGN
Silence Will Be Maintained and
Fight to Finish Waged-No
4S-Hour Deadline.
By ROBERT r. SMALL.

Prohibition enforcement is to have
its greatest test here in Washington.
The officials entrusted with that work
have made up their minds that the
Nations Capital is to be bone dry.
With Anti-Saloon Leaguers and
temperance advocates gathered here
for the celebration next week of the
fourth anniversary of constitutional
prohibition in this country, word has
gone forth that this city, at least, Is
10 be made in actuality a dry
municipality. no matter what the cost.
This is to be a real test. If 1t fails,
then it Will be admitted that the
prohibition laws cannot be made
operative.
So long as Washington remains
wet" it is said, there is little hope
of effective enforcement in other COM
lnunities that lean to alcoholic damp
ness. The chiefs have decided there
their subordinates over the Goals In
other jurisdictions when the Volstead
act is being violated right under
their noses here in Washington.
Fair Warning Given.
Fair warning has been given.
therefore. to government officials
and all other fiaunters of the law
that they must make up their mind
TO accept prohibition and abide by
1T. The prohibition agents have gone
50 far as to say that if they cannot
make Washington dry they might as
well give up the task everywhere.
Washington consequently is to be-
come a dry symbol to the rest of the
country. There has been entirely too
much drinking here in connection
with national banquets and dinners.
Too many prominent visitors have
gone back to their home towns with
the statement that they found
Washington as wet as the Atlantic
ocean. All of this is going to be
changed. 1t is admitted wines and
liquors have not been served openly
occasion OF each big dinner it Is
claimed several hotel rooms have
been taken over and converted into
virtual bars. For some of the func-
tions the committees in charge have
imported old-time bartenders and
the jubilation has gone forward in
gala tempo.
Termed as "Jokeo Abroad.
Distinguished foreign visitors, en-
tertained here at the Capital. invari-
ably have gone back to Europe with
the statement that prohibition seems
to be Joke" in this country, even
in the very home of the government.
All of this semi public drinking is.
to be stamped out. To this end the
prohibition chiefs are importing some
of their most successful operatives
from other districts. None of the reg
Hiar agents are being relieved in the
District of Columbia, but there is to
u As1,, l.
minds in the enforcement unit. and
IL is to be q case of dry up Wash
tngton or bust"
1t was reported today that the spe-
cial agents who recently cleaned up"
Savannah, Ga, and rounded up some
ninety or one hundred OF the chief
bootleggers and conspirators. have ar
rived in Washington and begun work
s'under cover" They are known in
the service as the Irish wrecking
crew" and what they intend to do
to the lawbreakers here in the Capital
IS said to be aplenty.
Neither senators nor representa-
tives nor officials in any branch OF
the government will be spared in the
round up of those who sell and
those who possess the forbidden bev-
erages.
Example to BE Set Here.
An example is to be made Of Wash
SnRtOn, anu naturally Lne temperance
delegates who are here are delighted
with the prospect. They feel that a
great step forward will be made if
the lid can be clamped on Washing
ron good and tight. They have been
taunted everywhere with the free
drinking in Washington. they say,
and they believe If an effective start
can be made here the rest of the
country will yield.
The prohibition agents do not ex-
pect TO blot out the last vestige of
wetness. They say that certain
amount of moonshine will continue to
filter into the Capital from the sur
rounding rural counties in Maryland
end Virginia They are striking at
the "choice liquors which have been
pouring into the Capital lately and
bringing here higher prices than in
almost any other section OF the
country.
Some Of the raids thus far made
have been anonymous affairs The
names of the homes invaded have not
been made public. This is to be no
brass-band affair this time. The
workers are going to labor quietly
and earnestly and believe their
silence will be more effective than
3iambuoyant accounts of obscure ar
rests. Neither Is the roundup here
TO be a forty-eight-hour "deadline"
affair. If Washington is dry by late
fpring the prohibition unit will be
satisfied.
(Copyright 1924