The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-14
Pinchot Brands Dry Law
Enforcement AS Dis
graceful Breakdown i
FRANKLY ADMITS
ADVISING COUZENS
Recommended Heney AS
Committee Counsel,
Is Statement
ATTACKS SPEECH,
OF SEN. WATSON
People Do Expect Eighteenth
Amendment To Be En-
forced, He Ayers

HARRISbU HI, "a, April lo.--
Governor Pinchot in a statement to-
night admitted he recommended to
Senator Couzens of Michigan the name
of Francis J. Heney of San Franchise
as special counsel to the Senate COM
mittee investigating the internal reve-
nue. bureau, as Senator Watson, re-
publican, Indiana, asserted on the floor
of the Senate yesterday
After the investigation started, Gov
ernor Pinchot said, he got in touch
with Senator Couzens ION the question
of prohibition enforcement and on TINT
alone" and that he suggested Mr..
Heney as a man whom the senator's
committee would be fortunate to Sc
cure as a counsel"
The governor took issue with Sena.
tor Watson's reference, to prohibition
enforcement in his address yesterday,
declaring every self-respecting. law
abiding American must resent the spec
tacle of senator publicly confessing
that he does not expect the constitu-
ton to be obeyed."
No Personal Purpose
Governor Pinchot declared he has
no personal purpose or animus in the
matter" and that he lis not pressing
for a general investigation of the treas
ury department.
The governors statement follows:
Certainly I saw Senator Cou5ens.
/ would have failed in my obvious duty
as governor Of Pennsylvania if had
not.
Last October. in a public speech in
Washington. ! described the breakdown
of the federal enforcement service in
plain terms. Last January in another
pubic speech, in washington, de-
manded congressional investigation.
In case like this, the only way to get
the law enforced is to expose the facts.
what I am after in this matter is
tn get tie law enforced So far as
Pennsylvania is concerned. I intend
that it shall be enforced. have made
no secret of what / think of the dis
graceful breakdown of the enforcement
service of the treasury department or
of the deba uchery, crime, suffering and
death it has brought to the people Of
my state and many another.
On Prohibition Alone"
After the investigation was order
ed. / got in touch with Senator Cou-
zens on the question of prohibition en-
fCrcement and on that alone. In con-
versation with him. suggested, as 9th
ers had done before, the name of Mr..
Heney, a trusted friend of President
Roosevelt. for whom he had conducted
investigations, as that of a man whom
Senator Couzens' committee would be
fortunate to secure as counsel.
Senator Watson has overshot him
self. He says nobody has expected
that prohibition would be rigidly en-
forced up to the present hour Every
self-respecting. law-abiding American
must resent the spectacle of a senator
of the United States publicly confess
ing that he does not expect the con.
stitution to he obeyed. If Senator Wat
son does not. the people of the United
States who forced the enactment of the
eighteenth amendment do expect it to be
obeyed.
''If Senator Watson will take the
time to read the national platform of
the republican party, and the message
to Congress of President Coolidge (who,
on the eve of the nomination at Cleve-
land has certainly the right to speak
for the party he will discover that he
basic tenets Of his party but is outrax.
ing the sentiment of a large majority
Of his fellow republicans.
Shameful Facts"
Moreover, every self-respecting, law
abiding American must scorn Sena.
tor Watson's plea to keep the shameful
facts of the enforcement failure fren
public exposure. Until the reasons for
the failure are known, there can be No
constructive legislation to set it right
Il have no sympathy with investi.
cations az mere fishing expeditions.
have no personal purpose or animus ID
the matter. 1 am not pressing for q
general investigation of the treasury
department. But 1 assert, and chal-
lenge Mr.. Watson or anyone else to
deny it, that is high time TO but an
end to the corruption and inefficiency
which exists in the federal enforcement
service. Since that service will not en-
force the laws, the people are entitled
to know the reason why"