Evening star., 1926-04-03
PROHIBITION FOES
START HOT FIGHT
Hill Leads Opposition to Civ
ing D. C. Police Right of
Interstate Pursuit.

Indications that the Treasury $
legislative proposal q. authorize Wash.
ineton police to cross State lines in
pursuit of bootleggers will he op.
posed in Congress cropped out today
as arrangements were being carried
forward for hearings opening Mon
day before Senate subcommittee on
bills 10 modify the Nolstead act.
Prospects today pointed TO merry
boiling of the legislative hopper. as
both wet and dry measures are under
consideration and Congress Is 10 he
pressed for action before adjournme nj.
Opposition TO the Treasury bill, in.
troduced Yesterday afternoon in the
Senate by Senator Gof of West Vir-
ginia. was voiced by Representative
Hill of Maryland, head of the unoffi-
cial modification committee of the
House. who always has been opposed
TO Washington police operating in
Maryland, even under Federal au.
thority.
Maryland Dry Raids stopped.
Al the present time Capt, Guy f.
Burlingame and about 80 other Wash
inEton police are armed with badges
and the authority of agents OF the In.
ternal Revenue Bureau prohibition
unit. In the past they have made ea
cursions into Maryland, where they
say much Of the corn liquor for Wash
ington originates but Representative
Hill and others voiced such vigorous
protest that this practice substantially
has been stopped. ii was said today.
Federal prohibition agents. however.
operating out OF the local office. have
been making raids in Maryland. Tn.
der the new bill presented yesterday.
with eight amendments to the prohi-
bition act tightening up enforcement.
Washington police would he permitted
to follow violators across the District
line in any direction.
''It is proposed" said Mr.. Hill. that
the District Of Columbia. which in
Federal Jurisprudence occupies the
position of a sovereign State, may
send its police officers. with power to
execute writs, into another sovereign
State.
1T is a fundamental principle of
Federal Law that the police of New
York have no authority in New Jer
sew. 1t is an equally fundamental
principle of Federal law that the po
lice of the District Of Columbia have
absolutely no power in Maryland.
The District of Columbia authorities
admitted this to me some months
ago. and promised to discontinue the
very course of action Gen. Andrews
proposes.
Sees Principle Violated.
IF a person commits an offense
in the District of Columbia and goes
into Maryland he can be returned
to the District only through eXtradi-
ton proceedings. Gen. Andrews pro
posals wipe out the funda mental
guara ntees Of State self -governmen
The proposals show that Gen. An
drews knows even less about the
fundamental principles of constitu
tional law than / supposed he knew"
In the hearings to open Monday on
bills by Senators Edge OF New Jer
sey and Bruce of Maryland, the modi-
fication forces have been allotted the
first week of the hearings to present
their ca Sc. The drys have been al.
lotted the second week. and are ex
pected to urge a favorable report
on the prohibition law amendments
recommended by Assistant Secretary
of the Treasury Andrews to increase
enforcement
The amendment presented by the
Treasury of most direct interest to
Washington concerning the power Of
local police was commented upon by
Gen. Andrews. in his letter of ira MS
initial to Congress yesterday as fol-
lows:
AT present the national prohibition
act is the only dry law for the District.
This section is designed to enable local
authorities to exercise local police
power in the matter Of violations Of
this law, and will be most helpful to
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