The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1929-07-12
LATEST FROM "WET AND DRY
FRONT

1.-TWO farmers down in Oklahoma are dead after
q gun battle with prohibition agents who were
searching a chicken coop for contraband liquor
says Tom Stout in the Lewistown Democrat-News.
He continues, "The Detroit sector is to become the
scene of the next great offensive by the dry army
Hundreds of experienced fighters, including quite
a number of requirements for enforcement war
riors who have been caught in the act OF accepting
favors in the shape of money from the enemy, nave
been concentrated in and about the Michigan me-
tropolis with the grim purpose to dam the big sup
ply of Canadian beer and whiskey which has been
coming across at that point. The rum runners ex-
press the utmost confidence in their ability to
maintain communications between the vendors IN
Canada and thirsty customers on this side OF the
border Mrs. Mabel Willebrandt, directing head OF
the enforcement section of the justice department,
has quit her office to accept very lucrative re-
tainer from an aviation concern. Personally at
tractive mentally KEEN fearless, Mrs. Willebrandt
compelled the admiration even of those who most
strongly opposed her effort to make the nation
dry. DIR. Clarence True Wilson, general secretary
of the Methodist Board of Prohibition Temperance
and Morals, with headquarters just across the
street from the national capitol, in an article con-
trbuted to the most recent issue of Golfers Week
y demands that the president call out the regular
army the marines and the navy to make prohibi-
ton effective throughout the nation. He would
have martial law declared in such states as New
York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Wisconsin and
Montana, which states he declares are Sin rebellion
against the constitution. This is really very re-
markable article as indicating the lengths to which
the more fanatical advocates of prohibition are
willing to go in an effort to dry up the country
Ida NJ Tarbell, noted author and sociologist on
the other hand, in long story in Liberty says
that while it is true that a state of war exists in
the nation over the wet and dry question: there is
no hope of quelling it by attempts to enforce ar
unenforceable law She compares present condi
tions with those which prevailed during the twC
decades preceding our Civil war. Then there were
fanatical abotionists and equally fanatical slave
owners. Neither would yield to reason and -four
years of blood spilling resulted Miss Tarbell WIN
is known as an exceptionally level-headed woman
fears that the prohibition imbroglio may lead to e
similar conflict. Senator Gould of Maine repre-
sents state which Neal Dow made officially DIR!
rs years ago. He was elected as dry, but there
recently came TO light letter which he wrote tt
a winemaker in st. Louis warmly complimentins
the winter upon the excellence of the atter's pro
ducts, several kegs of which had been shipped b
the Maine solon. Being rather caught with the we
goods after manner of speaking, Senator Goul
candidly admitted that while he has found it con
venient to vote dry in the senate and talk dry il
Maine, he actually believes that prohibition i
wrong in both theory and practice. The prohibi
tionists of his home state are said to be vastly in
dignant and are planning to see to it that som
other person goes to the senate from Maine whe
the Gould term expires. The rather defiant states
man adds to his statement by saying that Their
many other members of congress who occup
identically the position he does, meaning tina
they are politically dry and personally wet'