Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-24
ANDREWS ADMITS
BEING ''OPT|M|ST"
'Testifies He Expects to See
"ReaI Beer Off Market
by Christmas"

~ the AsSOcldteO freSS
An intimate picture of the costs
hopes and difficulties of the Federal
prohibition agencies was placed be
fore the House today in q report con
tanning testimony given recently by
Assistant Secretary Andrews before
the House appropriations committee
He appeared to urge additional
funds for enforcement, which are pro
vided in the second deficiency appro
priation bill reported today by the
committee.
Gen. Andrews placed the total cost
of prohibition now at S2S,500,0 900. said
one of his chief difficulties in en-
forcement was handling dry agents,
who accept $1,000 a month Ito look
the other way" and conceded. under
questioning by Chairman Madden,
that he was an "optimist.
Beer Of Market This Winter.
He told Mr. Madden, however. that,
although he might be a ridiculous
ontimist," he expected to see real
beer off the market by Christmas,
and when the chairman asked II 1t
would be Just for the Winter
months" he replied:
mo. I mean off the market.
This colloquy came after the pro
hibition chief had estimated that TO-
600 900 gallons of industrial alcohol
we're diverted to bootleg whisky last
year, and that. when cut, TINS rep
resented at least 10000 600 gallons
of liquor.
confined largely in the big manufac.
turing sections east of the Mississippi
and north Of the Potomac" he Sa!d'
and outlined a plan for increasing the
size of the enforcement unit to cope
with this diversion.
"What do you think will be the
effect?" Madden asked.
eft will eliminate. first, the source
of supply for the illegitimate tramc
in LIQUOR, and probably turn the poot'
Logging industry to .illegltlmate us
tillation," he replied.
Then what will happen?"
"Then am asking for the right
10 get search warrants on the basls
that we have evidence that a private
dwelling is being used as a CONNER
cial distillery. If we get that law
we will make it pretty hard for them
to distill their source of supply. II we
succeed in turning the industry away
from that source of supply, then, uitl-
mately, we will get 1t back on the
basis where every man will make ms
own whisky in his own home Tor MS
own consumption"
Then what?" continued Madden.
Then I will have more than done
my work" 49,
of il? will there be no interference
with the right to make their own
whisky"
Not by the Federal Government,
l hope"
You do not mean to say that those
who manufacture it at home in viola
ton of the law will have any i'm
munity?" interposed Representative
Buchanan, Democrat, of Texas.
II did not mean that" replied An
drews. II mean that the local COM
munities ought to take action in those
cases; not the Federal Government.
Agents in Collision.
Gen, Andrews said in many cases"
there was collision between brewers
and prohibition agents, and that he
had discharged "a great many men
for this reason.
''To what extent is real beer being
brewed?" asked Madden.
mo one knows the answer other
than this: that over this section of
the country least of the Mississippi
and north of the Potomac) there has
been beer for sale"
There were wet spots outside of this
area, he said, adding that AL TINS
time there has been beer for sale,
more or less openly, if you know
where to get it.
Somebody must know where to get
it." Madden observed.
so, many of them know that there
Is not much opposition to the law as II
forbidS the use of beer"
Citing difficulties in detecting manu-
facture Of real beer" Andrews said:
IF our men are watching one of
these plants in a given community, a
policeman will come and say, What
are YOU doing here?' making them un-
cover themselves as Federal agents in
order not to be arrested and taken
away because they are hanging
around
DO YOU mean a local policeman"
asked Madden.
"A regular municipal policeman, but
interested in the success of the COM
pany."
Prohibition enforcement, he esti-
mated, will add approximately s14,500,-
600 to the operating expenses Of the
Coast Guard during the next fiscal
year.
Concluding his testimony with the
outline Of a plan for employing in
vestigators to watch State and coun-
ty Officers responsible for law en-
forcement." he said the purpose would
be to encourage and make more pop
ular the proper function Of the local
law officers