Evening star., 1928-12-19
Politics at Large
By G.. Could Lincoln.

"a balanced budget or more money to
enforce prohibition" was the title OF the
latest political comedy to be played IN
the Senate and House.
The Senate, on the instance OF the
wringing-w wet Senator Bruce OF Mary
land had raised the ante Tor pronlDltion
enforcement to $270000.O0O. But the
House, following budget recommenoMao "a
tions, had placed the usual Sl3,oOo,OuU
priation bill. When the bill went TO con-
| ference. the Senate amendment was
stricken out and the conference report
caused an uproar when it was presented
in both houses. The vets had their OPP
portunity. They roared that the 0ryS
did not really wish to enforce the pro-
hibitory laws; that 1t was entirely on-
vious that the prohibition laws were be-
ing violated and the country going 10
"the demnition bow-wowS" on that ac-
count. When it came to a showdown In
the Senate and the House, many OF the
ardent drys were found voting with the
vets for the increased appropriation.
However, not enough OF the drys gave
their support, and the bill Will become
law carrying the $13,500, 900 instead OF
X X X X
It is apparent, however, that the ques-
tion of greater Government expendl-
lures for the enforcement OF pro-
hibition is to become real issue. IL
is a matter to which Mr.. Hoover, the
President-elect, may have to give par
ticular attention. There Is going 10 oe
a real demand that something be done
about prohibition" under the next ad-
ministration. The vets will continue to
insist that present conditions in the
country are intolerable, with bootleg
gers available in every city. The oryS
also will demand that something dras-
tic be done to bring about Strlcter en-
forcement of the laws. The guess mas
been hazarded by enforcement o1ncerS
that it will take an annual approprl-
alton of $3O00 900 to dry up the
country.
That is a lot of money. However
the ardent drys will be entirely willing
to make such an expenditure, and the
vets will likely be willing to have II
tried out, with the idea that many OF
the taxpayers may object to sucn an
expenditure, and also with the loea
that not $4,000 900, nor $500, O,OO0,ooO,
could actually make the country ory
if the sentiment of the people IN some
of the States Is strongly against pro-
hibition
The Democratic supporters OF Gov.
AL Smith of New York in the recent
presidential campaign took not little
delight in placing the administrator
Republicans on record against a greater
appropriation for prohibition enforce
ment. At the same time, the SITUATION
was not a little embarrassing to some
of the Democratic Senators and Rep
resentatives from the South, Wnlcn
showed its adherence to the principle
of prohibition so decidedly in the re-
cent election. They found 1t necessary
for once to vote with their wet col
leagues in support of this proposal. So
close was the affair in the Senate that
the conference report was adopted by
the narrow margin of three votes only.
The Senate divided almost entirely on
party lines, with two Republicans only
supporting the Bruce amendment and
two Democrats only voting against II.
The Republicans voting against the
conference report were Senator's Jones
of washington and Norris of Nebraska,
both ardent drys. The two Democrats
who voted for the conference report
were Senators Kendrick Of wyoming
and Reed of Missouri.
X X X X
At the conclusion of the roll call,
Senator Jones of Washington, an in
fuentiaI member of the Senate COM
mittee on appropriations and Repuoli-
can whip of the Sen te, made the fol-
lowing significant statement:
"I should like to say voted against
the adoption of the conference report
r hal QFaN4fff
prohibition enforcement should be in
creased at least to $25,000,OOO or
$40 200, 600, believing that when the
next administration comes In we Will
have better recommendation for the
enforcement Of the law in the way or
adequate appropriation"
It seems quite likely that the pro-
fibition issue will continue to bob up
In politics during the next four years,
although in the recent election the
"dry" candidate for President over
whelmingly defeated the "wet" candi-
date. The, wet candidate received a
very large popular vote, some l5OOO,oGyol
is quite true that many of them voted
for Gov. Smith, not because OF his
opposition to prohibition, but in spite
of it. Nevertheless, in many of the
States, hundreds of thousands OF the
votes were cast by opponents OF prohiDl-
ton for Gov. Smith.
X X X X ~
The case of William S. Ware, Senator
elect from Pennsylvania, still lagS, ana
gives promise of continuing to lag, until
Mr.. Ware improves in health or until
Pennsylvania itself gets excited about
being represented by only one Senator
instead of two The Reed slush fund
committee has tried for several days 10
hold a meeting to determine what snan
be its course with reference to MI. ware.
A meeting may be held today II other
business does not hold members OF the
committee on the floor of the Senate
One of the members of this committee,
at least, believes that, in view of the fact
that Mr.. Ware is at present partially
paralyzed, no effort should be made
now to carry the case to the floor OF tne
Senate. There Is an impression that
the matter may be allowed to run along
for some time yet, particularly as the
committee has decreed and the Senate
has agreed that MIR. Ware should nave
an opportunity to speak for hlmsen on
the floor of the Senate in his own oe-
fenSe.
That is an impossibility. it Is said, IN
his present state of health. However,
Senator Reed of Missouri, who is to
leave the Senate March 4, is naturally
anxious to have the Ware case dlsposeo
of. 1t was his committee which in 1926
held the investigation that resulted IN
charges of gross expenditure of money
and corruption in campaign. which leo
to the nomination of Mr.. Ware Tor SEN
ator, and whose earlier reports leo TO
the denial to Mr. Ware of the right 10
be sworn in when he presented hnnseH
in the Senate at the opening OF tne
present Congress. Unless some actlon
is taken IN his case at the present ses-
sion, an entire Congress-two years
will have passed with Pennsylvania nav
but single representative IN the upper
house-Senator David A. Reeo.
X X X
Farm legislation at this session IS
waiting on word from the President