The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-25
Wants
REAL SHAKEUP
IN DRY army
Law Can Not Be Enforced
With Present Personnel,
Senator Declares.
SKEPTICAL ON SURVEY.
Commission viii Discover
Only What Every One
Knows, He Says.
BY PAUL r. MALLON
United Press STAFF Correspondent

United Press StaR Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Dec. 25-Presi-
dent Hoover'S law enforcement COM
mission is prepared to submit a re-
port that the chief need of prohibit
ton and other laws is better public
officers to enforce them, the United
Press was informed authoritat!vely
today.
Such a report may be expected
early in the new year, If differences
which have developed among some
of the commission members can be
ironed out successfully, it is learned.
Just now the commission is split
over methods of procedure and
haraSSed by dry critics in congress,
| but President Hoover is known to
| have taken hand toward MAIN
tenance of peace and Is understood
to favor presentation Of the report to
congress as soon as possible.
The report conforms almost ex-
actIy to the views of Senator Will
liam E. Borah of Idaho, announced
Tuesday night. The dry leader who
stumped the country for Mr.. Hoover
in the last campaign. only to break
with him over the tariff issue after
election, declared with the present
personnel, nothing will be accom-
plished."
Not Worried About Commission
Borah stated he was not inter-
ested in a report of the commission,
although this is the question which
has been agitating other prominent
drys recently, including Senators
Harris dem, Ga and Glass
| dem, Va.).
Following Harris public denun-
citation of members of the commits
sion, and his statements that the
drys lacked the necessary confidence
in it because of its secret activities,
he was called to the White House
Tuesday by the President.
He declined to discuss his corl-
ference, but intimated he would not
press for action on his pending SEN
ate resolution if the commission re-
port can be expected within the
next few weeks. His resolution calls
upon the President to get report
from the commission.
For months the commission has
been holding secret hearings and
accommodating a mass of information
concerning law violations, none of
which has been made public. It's
work is nowhere near finished. The
coming report would be only in the
nature of preliminary statement,
designed among other things to ap-
pease the diSgruntled drys in con-
gress, who have been looking
aSkance at the commission head
quarters here.
Law Changes to Be Asked
1t is expected to contain other
suggestions aside from the recon-
mendation for a shakeup in the en-
forcement agencies, including pro-
posals for technical changes in the
law to encourage prosecutions and
discourage violations.
Those who have knowledge Of the
intent of the report saw a possible
connection in the secret demotion
Tuesday of John j. Quinn, assistant
prohibition director for Maryland
and the District of Columbia. Quinn
was transferred and reduced to
ranks because he did not have the
necessary executive ability" """ord-
ing to Commissioner Doran. Charges
against him were made puDl.y.
1.-THE great fact that stands out
with me" said Doran, in state
ment which may have the effect of.
Fastening the committee report, Is
this: We have the law; the supreme
court has construed it.
There is no difficulty about the.
officers understanding it. But have
We the officials willing to execute
the law? A commission will not
throw any light upon what the law
is. Neither will it have anything
to do with the selecting of the Off
GERS to enforce it.
Must Find Officials
Having the law clearly defined.
the next thing, and the only thing,
is to find the kind of officials who
will enforce it. In my opinion it
never will be enforced with the
present personnel, from top TO bot
tom.
IF the commission should report,
it will not tell us anything we do
not know, either as to the law or
as to the facts. We still will be
back to the one proposition, and
that is, that with the present per-
sonnet nothing viii be accomplished.
II am very much more inter-
ested in the kind of officials which
we are to have, district attorneys,
marshals, sheriffs and enforcement
officers generally, than I am in the
theories and dissertations of the