Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1926-04-02
News Review of
Current Events
Vets and Drys to Air Their
Views on Prohibition
in the Senate
(Spe ,ial to The LEADER

AIHAT is expected to be the most
w voluminous discussion on a do
mesttc issue since the free silver talk
fest, will be started in the United
States senate on Monday, April 5. The
topic is to be modification of the pro
hibition law and the eighteenth amend
ment, and debate is to continue for
twelve days.
Consequently, the first move in the
struggle for and against reopening the
prohibition question for new congress
sional legislation has been won by the
vets. This victory is in the form Of a
compromise agreed upon in order to
allow the vets in the senate and their
followers throughout the land TO have
public hearings on bills to modify the
prohibition act and to amend the
eighteenth amendment in return for
matters in the senate by means of
daily speeches against prohibition.
Under the compromise, they are now
to make their speeches and summon
their witnesses before the senate judi
ciary subcommittee, which will sit for
twelve days in a spacious committee
room of the senate office building and
publicly hear testimony on the ben
efits and the perils of prohibition as
the witnesses may declare they have
found them
When this bombardment Is con
cluded the subcommittee will turn over
the bales Of testimony to the judiciary
committee for its guidance in recon-
mending or not recommending to the
senate the passage of one or more of
the five modification bills now before
it. The vets are to be heard first and
will be allowed six days; then the
drys for six days. From all parts of
the United States, and Canada even,
witnesses will be brought.
Wayne B. Wheeler, general counsel
for the Anti-Saloon league, will have
charge of operations for the drys. The
field marshals and floor managers of the
vets are to be Senators Edge (Rep., n.
j., Edwards (Dem., N. J.,) and Bruce
Oem., Md with Senator Reed Dem.,
Mo- directing impromptu operations
which are expected to provide the
sensations of the campaign.
This official opening of the subject
will bring the first public hearings
ever granted by congress on proposals
to modify the Volstead act since the
eighteenth amendment was ratified in
1919. The senatorial vets call it a
victory. What we want, and all we
want at this time" Senator Edge said,
"is to get our evidence on the evils
and scandals of prohibition before the
country under authentic auspices.
And we don't think this is an unfair
wish. Sentiment Is changing. Failure
of the prohibition law Is obvious and
disgraceful. We welcome this chance
merely to be heard"
The five bills on which testimony is
to be heard are one by Senator Bruce,
to permit manufacture, sale and dis
tribution of hard liquor by the govern
ment, and local option In the matter
of admitting such goods into a deslg
mated area; one, by Senator Edwards
to modify the Volstead act TO permit
ner cent beer. and three by Senator
Edge to legalize 2.75 per cent beer
to permit beverages of "any alcoholic
content not intoxicating In fact" and
to remove restrictions now placed on
the prescription of whisky for
medicinal purposes.
The twelve days granted is not
enough for the prohibition hearings,
according to Senator Edwards, who an