Evening star., 1926-05-22
STATES FIND BARS
TOPOL|CE HELPING
u. S. DRY OFFICERS
Wet Opposition to Coolidge
Order Supplemented by
Legal Obstacles.
SENATORS IN DEBATE
ON CoNSTITUTl0NALlSM
Prohibition Director Denies In.
fringement on Local Rights.
Better Enforcement Seen.
BY the Associated Prpss.

BY the Associated Press.
Not only opposition, but actual diff
culties, are already bobbing up in the
path of the Governments latest move
in the effort TO enforce prohibition
through greater use of local police.
Described by Senator Bruce, Demo.
crat, Maryland, as an outrage" the
executive order issued yesterday au-
thorizing appointment Of State, county
and municipal police as Federal pro
hibition agents was further charac-
terized by Gov Richie Of the same
State as "a clear attempt of the Fed
eral Government to dictate to the
State what should be the duties of its
local officers
The other side of the picture was
held up By James E. Jones, director of
prohibition. The purpose of the or
der he said. was to bring about
greater cooperation between Federal
and local authorities and TO give the
latter authority which would enable
them to ignore city, county and State
lines in pursuit of persons suspected
of violating the prohibition laws.
New York Opposition.
Oficials of New York, which. like
Maryland, has rejected enforcement
bills. are of the opinion that the or
der will be imperative there, because
State officers are prohibited by Law
from holding Federal commissions. y
similar situation prevails IN Atlanta.
Ga, in the heart of a prohibition
stronghold. City Attorney James l.
Mayson having found a provision ir
the city charter prohibiting polio.
from holding other office.
States and municipalities having
such laws are specifically exempted
in the order, and enforcement officials
explained. that mutual consent would
be the basis for the clothing of local
officers with the broader Federal
authority contemplated. An admin
istrative relic of the World War. the
81 year salary to assure legal status
, to the actions of volunteer officials, i:
/ likely to be revived in the new phase
I of the enforcement war, since only
! nominal pay Is authorized for the locs.
! Federal agents.
Legality Is Questioned.
/ Prohibition administrators in thn
(! various enforcement divisions prob
ably will be given a rather free hand
! in putting the order into effect in view
of the different statutory condition.
! likely to be encountered. Neverthe-
! less. prohibition officials see in 1t a
/ potential source for expansion of their
f! forces fourfold. although they are
! not ready to say TO what extent they
plan to put II into effect.
| Dated May S. the order was issued
Yesterday by the White House. and
] immediately drew fire in the Senate.
! not only from wet leaders, but from
| others who questioned its constitu-
| tionality Senators Goff. Republican.
West Virginia. former assistant At
/ torney General. and King, Democrat.
! Utah. were among those who held 1t
! was unconstitutional but Senator
/ Walsh, Democrat. Montana, took the
opposite view. He and Senator King
| are both members of the judiciar,
committee.
Edwards Is Critical.
! The presidential order was described
today by Senator Edwards. Democrat.
| New Jersey, as 1.-The most revolu-
| tionary order ever issued from the
| White House in time of peace"
! "And in making this statement.
| he said. lit is not my purpose to
/ disparage or unjustly criticize Presi-
dent Coolidge. because / honestly be-
! lieve that If there Is one person In
these United States who is sincerely
| trying to enforce prohibition that per-
son is Calvin Coolidge. He has proven
my faith in him in both his personal
and public utterances and acts.
But for the most powerful ma
j tionality Of the world to admit
through it's Chief Executive that in
| order to bring about some small re-
! CONTINUED on Page 4. Column ~