Imperial Valley press., 1928-06-22
DRYS TO
v AR AT
HOUSTON
Battle On Prohibition
Already Opens Among
Democrats.
VETS DENY ISSUE
Reed Hoping to Obtain
Votes of Dry Women
Delegates.
By CARL D. GRoAT
UNITED Press Staff Correspondent


HOUSTON. Tavas. June %
Prohibition continued of foremost
interest in pre-convention eonsidera-
tion here today despite leaders ef-
forts to soft-pedal it.
Anti-Smith drys marshalled their
forces more strongly than hereto
fore, while many Smith men sounded
the cry prohibition is not poll
tical issue.
Nevertheless it showed signs OF
being the one big fighting point III
the Democratic assembly opening
here next Tuesday.
Governor Smiths reiteration of
his previous views on the subject
/ in New York served as added fuel
to the drys agitation here.
The dry row really came into the
open when Norman +. Mack of
Buffalo, New York committeeman
declared Governor Smith was OPP
posed to prohibition, favored tenn
perance, and advocated states
! rights in determination of bever-
| ages alcoholic contents. Later. he
asserted he was voicing his own
views.
Then in New York last night the
/ governor made it clear he had not
! changed his views on amendment
Of prohibition provisions, leaving
\ states to determine alcoholic contents
o. beverages.
The governor statement met
with two chief reactions here, name
ly.
1-Drys claimed it put him more
firmly on record as a "wet' and
as such they opposed him.
2-Smith $ friends said the part
of frankness demanded that he make
his position clear before the cen
vention, thus not taking the nonina-
tiOn under false pretenses.
Seeks To Win Women
| The drys are holding regular
prayer sessions in their headquar-
tcrs.
Most of the drys are women. Tho
Senator Reed forces have been try~
ing to win their support but thus
far the effort seems to have fail
ed.
The Smith headquarters was sill
ent about the governors latest
| pronouncement. 1t was said there
would be no attempt to amplify or
interpret the governor s remarks as
he could speak for himself.
Meanwhile, the Democratic lead.
crs who are engaged in what they
term the constructive work of the
nvention-framing the outlines of
the party platform-progressed to
the point where they saw several
planks taking form. They We're:
Farm relief.
Corruption.
Law Enforcement.
The farm relief plank will be very
strong. The definite method of meet
ing the farmers equalization fee
demands has not been determined,
but it was stated that every effort
will be made to satisfy farmers
thoroughly without simultaneously
raising among industrialists the cry
that the method is "uneeonomieal.
HOUSTON, Texas, June o.
Governor Alfred f. Smith of New
Aol N lS PitPdiCu W run ioT tHc
presidency on law enforcement
plank, stronger even than the Re-
publicans Kansas City plank, ae-
cording to authoritative advices
reaching his workers here today.
Asked if the governor s reitera-
tlon of his position toward amend
ment of prohibition provisions meant
Smith now favors modification
plank, George r. Van Nance, Smith
manager today told the United Press
he assumed the New York execu-
tive would let his position be known
to the New York delegation.
Subsequently the United Press
learned that the governor is not
seeking a modification plank and
that he stands ready to run on "a
strong enforcement plank in keep
ing with his earlier declarations for
enforcement of laws while on the
statute books.
Meantime dry anti-Smith work
Crs were awaiting the arrival Sun
day night of Governor Dan Moody
of Texas to furnish them a nation
ally known figure to lead the dry
fight in the convention.