Evening star., 1926-04-05
Declares Prohibition Cause of
Intolerance and Bigotry
in United States.
HAS FOSTERED TYRANNY
AND DECEIT, HE ASSERTS
Urges Giving Government Control.
Andrews Says Conditions
Are Better.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

day by the VETS at the Senate
hearing on the various bills TO modify
The constitutional amendment and
the Volstead act.
At the outset of the hearing Sen
ator Bruce Of Maryland delivered
sweeping arraignment OF conditions
prevailing under the Volstead act. He
strongly urged the committee 10 re
port favorably on his resolution TO
amend the Constitution so as to place
the liquor traffic in the hands Of the
Federal Government, much as the
government of Canada now handles
the liquor traffic.
Senator Edge Of New Jersey urged
upon the committee modification Of
the Nolstead act so as TO permit the
manufacture and sale of beverage
containing more than one-haif Of /
per cent of alcohol. but which are
not intoxicating in fact. He asked.
too, that favorable action be taken
on his proposal for a referendum TO
all the people in the national election
OF 1928 on the prohibition question.
Andrews Is Called
Following the statements made hy-
nc lHC DcitdtOIs, ASSiSJdllI OtCTetdIa
Of the Treasury Lincoln c. Andrews,
In charge of prohibition enforcement.
was called 10 the stand by Julian Cod
man of Hamilton, Mass. acting a.
attorney for several anti-prohibition
organizations and the American Fed
Grafton of Labor. Gen. Andrews was
the first witness put on by the ''wets"
He testified enforcement conditions
are improving.
Before he began his testimony, how
ever. Senator Means of Colorado.
chairman of the Senate judiciary sub
committee holding the hearings, said
that he wished to say that Gen. An
drews appeared at the request of the
Senate committee.
Il know he would wish me TO say
that he does not appear as an advo-
cate on either side. but merely to give
information. said Senator Means
Long before the hearing began the
committee room, room 224. Senate
Office Building, was besieged by many
persons desiring to be present. The
room was quickly filled to overiowing
and the doors were finally shut on
many who were unable TO obtain ad
mission.
Photographers Shooed Away.
The first 20 minutes were given over
to a battalion of newspaper photog-
raphers, who made pictures of the com
mittee, of leading vets and leading
drys, and finally were shooed out of
the room by Chairman Means, so that
the hearing might begin.
Senator Bruce in his statement to
the committee declared that the pro-
hibition law and constitutional amend
ment were begotten by the misuse Of
the old saloon, were hastened by the
economic conditions caused by the
World War and by the use of money
and political threats on the part of
the AntiSaloon League.
For the more than six years since
the prohibition law went into effect ;"
Senator Bruce insisted. 'it has never
been practically in effect" Man can
not be made over, he said. by law.
and the human instinct of personal
liberty is very strong. The viola
tion of the law, he said. is by no
means limited to single class. the
smart social set, or to the American
Federation of Labor. Thousands of
the best citizens of the country. he
said. have been brought into contact
with the bootlegger and have no COM
junction whatever about violating the
law.
''It has been a disastrous, tragic
failure" the Senator continued. re
ferring to the efforts to enforce prohi-
bition. aside from doing away with
the old saloon, which would have
gone anyway. The Federal Govern
ment is powerless to enforce a
statute when there is no crime per
Sc. There is no true moral sanction
back of it,
Senator Bruce gave figures show
ing the tremendous increase in the
number of arrests for violation of the
national prohibition law during the
last five years. He pointed out the
number of such arrests by Federal
prohibition agents from January to
June 80. 1920, had been 10,54S and
in 1925 the arrests were 62,747. The
number of convictions in the Federal
courts for violation of the prohibition
law had increased from ABS in 1920
to 3S,49S in 1925. Senator Bruce
called attention TO the fact that these
figures had nothing to do with the ar
rests and convictions by State author
tiles. The number of liquor stills and
fermenting implements seized. he
said. had increased from 1887 in
1920 to 172, ,537 in 1925. Seventy per
cent of these seizures. he said. were
made in the conventionally dry States
of Ala bama, Arkansas. Florida, Geor
gia, Louisiana, Mississippi. North
Carolina. South Carolina, Tennessee,
Texas and Virginia.
Arrests on Increase.
Arrests for drunkenness in a long list
of cities were given by Senator Bruce,
showing very large increases In the
last five years. The number in
Washington. he said, in 1920 was
5,415 and in 1895 a total of 11.160:
Boston. 81 800 in 1920, 1924 in 1925
Philadelphia, 1873 in 1920 and S.
617 in 1925.
Senator Bruce said that the ''drys'
claimed that arrests for drunkenness
figures were misleading. He denied
this was so and said that In Balti.
more the instructions for arrest on
account of drunkenness were prac.
tically the same as before prohibition.
Senator Bruce told the committee
that IL Gen. Andrews was successful
in his efforts to dry up the sources
of liquor and the bootleggers were
wiped out "it would simply stimulate
to unprecedented degree home distil
Iation and wine making" He said
that home fermentation would become
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