Evening star., 1926-05-27
ANDREWS DEMANDS
TIGHTER DRY LAW
TO END. BEER SALE
Would Show Country What
National Prohibition Really
Means, He Says.
TELLS HOUSE COMMITTEE
VIOLATIONS ARE OPEN
Dry Chief Pleads for His Bill Au.
thorizing Inspection of Homes
and Beverage Plants.
ev the Associated Press.

ev the Associated Press
Material tightening of the Nolstead
Act so that the country may know
what national prohibition means" was
urged today by Assistant Secretary
Andrews of the Treasury, national dry
chief before the House judiciary COM
n1ittee.
He spoke In favor Of bill, drafted
ny the Treasury, to give the prohlbl-
ton unit power to inspect at any time
factory manufacturing cereal bever-
aEes.
1T IS common knowledge" he said,
that in wet areas beer is being sold.
II can be stopped, and should be
stopped. If for no other Reason than
that the people throughout the coun-
try may know what the national
prohibition law may mean.
Gen. Andrews testified after Mrs.
Mabel Walker Willebrantit. Assistant
Attorney General. had indorsed the
Stalker bill to make prison sentences
mandatory for first convictions for
sale. manufacture and transportation
of intoxicating liquor.
Congestion Relief Seen.
This bill precpitated some sharp dis.
cussion. and after leaving the witness
stand Mrs. Willebrandt said the meas
ure would not make prison sentences
mandatory for first convictions tor
possessing intoXiCants, except when
possessed for sale. Some committee
members contended it would make
jail term necessary for the carrier
of hip pocket flask. Mrs. Wlllebrardt
said the Stalker bill would relieve con-
gestion in Federal courts. but that If
II nroyided a mandatory Jail penalty
for the flask carrier she would not be
for 1t.
Gen. Andrews said the bill he in
dorsed was written in his own office.
He reiterated recent testimony before
a Senate investigating committee that
the diversion Of industrial alcohol was
one OF the chief sources Of illicit
liquors.
Would Go Into Rum Row.
The dry chief said his bill. which al
ready has been approved by Senate
subcommittee, would also write into
law the right Of rum chasers to go
to the 12-mile treaty limit for snug
glers and permit entrance of dwellings
where there is evidence of prohibition
violation.
He added he was informed that per-
sons in England again we're preparing
to invade the American coast with
new rum runners.
tie also irdorsed a bill to permit
retired Army. Navy and Marine Corps
officers to accept appointments TO dry
law enforcement position.
Isn't this the first step in putting
the Army and Navy into prohibition
enforcement" asked Representative
Dyer, Republican. Missouri.
NO. l do not think So" replied An.
drews.
Authority to inspect suspected
homes, he asserted, would become
more necessary with the cutting off
of the present supply ot Illicit liquors
obtained from industrial alcohol and
Rum Row.
Continuing his insistence of the
need for dry agents to enter homes,
Mr.. Andrews cited case in Wash
ington where an officer was able to
look into home and see man sleep
ing on a cot. with a still in operation,
but could not get a warrant to enter
the house. Under the present law
there was no way Of obtaining war
rant, he added.
House Group Seeks Beer.
A proposal similar to that on which
New York is to vote in November
will form the backbone of the cam
paign to be conducted during the re-
mainder of this session by the unoffi.
cial House committee for modification
of the Volstead act.
Taking concerted action in the midst
of the revived prohibition controversy
the so Representative making up the
group have agreed to devote their eff,
1f J,.r, L.,
TO permit manufacture. sale, trans !
portation. importation or expectation
Of beverages which are not in fact |
Intoxicating as determined in accord |
ance with the laws of the respective |
States"
A committee of four comprising |
members of the House judiciary COM |
mittee, which last year pigeonholed !
all of the 2.75 per cent beer bills |
sponsored by the modificationists, was |
named TO draft a bill carrying the /
liberalization proposal, and the en-. /.
tire group is to join in the drive for !
action on it. The possibility of enact |
ment is considered remote, but 1t is /
likely to form vehicle for great |
deal Of argument.
Agitation i'm Chicago.
New York Is the only State which !
thus far has determined upon ref |
crendum on such a proposal, but 1t /
is being aGitated in number of pollti.
cal circles elsewhere, particularly In
Illinois, where II is sponsored BY !
George f.. Brennan. who recently won
the Democratic senatorial nomination
on wet platform.
While the House modif1cationists
are sharpening their new legislative
spear. the Senate judiciary committee
will get to work under the King reso- !
luton to determine whether it agrees
with Attorney General Sargent and a |
number of dry members OF Congress |
that President Coolidge's order author |
izing appointment Of State, county
and city peace officers as Federal en-
forcement agents is valid under ths
Constitution.
Cummins Attacks Order.
Chairman Cummins, in announcing
that the Judiciary committee would be-
gin its deliberations informally today. |
expressed the opinion that "the order
is without warrant at law" and that
"the President had no more right to
issue that order than / did" Re-
zarding the matter as being solely q |
question Of law. he was not in favor
of conducting a hearing on the sub
ject.
In the meantime. operation of the
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