Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-11
H00VER'S VIEWS
OPEN0N DRY ACT
Changes Would Be Urged for
Better Enforcement,
Friends Believe.

By the Associated Press.
President Hoover as he casts about for
the members of his law enforcement
commission is believed to be keeping an
open mind on the Volstead act as
medium of enforcing the prohibition
amendment, which he has announced
he wishes to see succeed.
This is indicated by the context of
what he has had to say OH the subject
OF prohibition, one of the foremost
issues in his campaign for the presi-
dency. In all of his pronouncements
from the time of his reply to the ques-
tionnaire of Senator Borah of Idaho,
more than year ago, to the present
there has been no mention of the Vol
stead act, and consequently no indorse-
ment of it.
Referred to Amendment.
Each time Mr.. Hoover has discussed
prohibition his reference has been di-
rectly to the eighteenth amendment.
This was the case with his acceptance
speech, with his campaign utterances,
his inaugural address week ago and
his last statement on the subject, last
Friday. In which he amplified the work
the proposed Law Enforcement Com
mission Is to undertake.
Those who profess to know Mr. Hoo
ver'S views regard this as a studied atti-
tude and one leaving him free to deal
with amendments to the present dry
laws should the investigation of his Ma
tional Commission show to his satisfac-
ton that such amendments would aid
in making the eighteenth amendment
more effective.
Action Long Planned.
Viewing the whole situation through
the eyes OF an engineer and an execu-
tive and not those of dry leader, Mr..
Hoover long ago recognized the abuses
which have grown up around the efforts
to enforce prohibition, and Immediately
after his nomination he determined if
elected, he would name a commission
to make investigation with view to
supplying a remedy.
The announcement of this intention
was made in his acceptance speech at
Stanford University last August. On
that occasion, Mr.. Hoover said that
common sense compels us to realize
that grave abuses have occurred
abuses which must be remedied," add
ing that IAN organized searching inves-
tigation of facts and causes alone can
determine the wise method of correct
ing them"
At that time information came from
what were regarded as authoritative
sources that the inquiry would go into
the Volstead act itself and that if the
facts disclosed that liberalization of
that act within the scope and intent of
the eighteenth amendment was likely to
result in better enforcement, recon-
mendationS to that end could be ex-
pected.
Dry Forces Backed Hoover.
During this campaign, Mr.. Hoover had
the Whole-hearted support of the dry
organizations of the country. The
leaders Of these bodies, and especially
OF the Anti-Saloon League, which has
by far the most potent voice of all In
the matters of national prohibition
legislation. now are disposed to give
him free hand in his efforts to bring
about more wholesome condition than
now exists.
Just what their attitude would be If
modification of the Volstead act were
proposed, however, remains for the
and effectually opposed any attempt at
modification and at the same time have
been able to have written into the
original act provisions designed to give
it more teeth.
1t may be month or more before
appointments to the commission are
announced by Mr.. Hoover, as he desires
to consult not only with his own law
enforcement officials but also with
jurists and prominent members of the
bar.
The commissions work is to embrace
a critical review of the whole machinery
of Federal justice and this task is OF
such magnitude that its completion
within even year is regarded as well
nigh impossible.
1t might be that prohibition would
be given first consideration with a
partial report covering it made IN
advance of the final report on reor-
ganization of the systems of courts,
selections Of juries and prosecuting
arms of the Government.