Evening star., 1926-04-12
LAW ENFORCEMENT
TRUTH DEMANDED
Representatives OF 10000,
600 Women Cheered by
Coolidge Greetings.

Determined to refute arguments OF
the 'wets," who, in their view, are
gaining far too much publicity, rep
resentatNes of 100000 women
making up the Woman's National
| Committee for Law Enforcement this
afternoon, held their second public
session with an array of speakers
pledged to fight modification of the
| Volstead act through the spreading
| Of truth"
Cheered by the declaration OF
| President Coolidge, conveyed to them
| in letter to Mrs. Henry w. Pea
| body, chairman of the committee,
that this earnest manifestation OF
| interest in enforcement OF law is
| gratifying, the women are looking
| forward to messages from Gen. Lin
| coin c. Andrews, Assistant Secretary
| of the Treasury in charge of prohi-
bition, and Senator Morris Sheppard
of Texas. which are to be delivered
1T tonight's session at the First Con-
gregational Church.
President Sends Greetings.
please convey my greetings to the
members of the women's national
committee for law enforcement" said
the PreSident's letter, which was read
at the initial gathering of the women
in the First Congregational Church
yesterday. This earnest manifesto
ton of interest in enforcement of
law" the letter continued. lis crafty
ing. Such interest on the part of
those citizens not officially connected
with the execution of law is heart
ening to those charged with that
responsibility. In this message / de-
sire to reiterate the following state
ment which l made on the subject of
your present deliberations:
THE law represents the voice of
the people. Beyond it, and supporting
it. is a divine sanction. Enforcement
of law and obedience to law, by the
very nature of our institutions, are
not matters of choice in this republic,
but the expression of q moral require
ment of living in accordance with the
truth. They are clothed with spirit
ual significance, in which is revealed
the life or the death of the American
ideal of self government"
At the outset of this afternoons SeS-
sion recommendation was made by
the legal commission in a report to
the enforcement committee that a
delegation of five be appointed to ask
Attorney General Sargent what wop-
en- can do ito effect the removal of
United States district attorneys de-
Scribed by Mrs. Mabel Walker Willie
brandt as politically eVaSive or hostile
to the prohibition law" 1t was
further recommended that the dele
CATION ask the Attorney General how
women can help ito secure the ap-
pointment Of Federal judges sympa.
thetic with the enforcement Of all
laws" and ''to bring to trial the 10000
odd liquor cases now pending in the
United States courts designated by
Gen. Andrews as "a jam" which con-
stitutes an alarming hindrance to the
orderly course or prohibition enforce
ment."
Support for Officials.
The commission also recommended
support from women for officials
charged with law enforcement and
study of State systems of parole and
probation to advance their usefulness
and prevent their being abused. The
report is signed by Mrs. Herbert j.
Gurney of Massachusetts, chairman,
and a dozen prominent women, among
whom is Mrs. Ellis Yost of this city.
at this afternoons session III report
of the education commission of the
enforcement committee that yearly
character surveys be made of per-
sonnel Of the prohibition unit in
Washington. Coupled with the Wash
ington survey the commission wants
to have State surveys made OF the
character and accomplishment of
the Federal prohibition administration
within those districts and of the
conduct OF the United States district
courts with regard to prohibition.
The commission advocated passage
by Congress of the bill to place all
prohibition activities in q separate
bureau and appointment by the Presi-
dent of a commissioner in charge of
the bureau who shall be a friend of
prohibition. Mrs. Kate Trenholm
Abrams of this city is a signer of this
report.
Criticizes Quebec System.
Caustic criticism of the Quebec plan
of government control of the liquor
traffic was voiced in a speech this
afternoon by Representative Hudson
of Michigan. Mr.. Hudson drew upon
his recent experiences as chairman of
the committee on alcoholic traffic of
cerning the Quebec system.
THE mail order department Of the
liquor commission in Canada" said
Mr.. Hudson, sells liquor by mail to
any one in the dry municipalities and
government liquor shops are estab
lished in dry municipalities where
they have not actually voted against
the sale of liquor.
THE government is frankly in the
liquor business and is pushing the
trade vigorously. although the whole
system Is supposed to promote tenn
perance. The illustrated liquor-adver-
tising pamphlets are drawn in the
most enticing way. They make the
mouth of an old alcoholic water and
tempt even the youth.
by sending liquor by mail into dry
municipalities they are undermining
the dry territory and only about half
of the province is now under local
prohibition. One of the strange in
conSistencies of the government con-
troll system Is the limits to which they
go in pushing the sales Of liquor while
the Health Department advises in its
bulletins that-If you want to grow
up healthy and strong and avoid dis
ease, abstain from alcoholic liquors.
consistency is no part Of the govern
ment-control plan"
In her keynote speech at the open
ing of the three-day session yesterday
afternoon. Mrs. Peabody. chairman
of the enforcement committee, declar-