The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-02-05
MIGHTY SMASH
IS ORGANIZED
FOR DRY U.S..
Prohibition Leaders Mass
Forces for DryS as New
President Goes In.
HOOVER IS CHIEF HOPE
Next Executive Likely to
Hold Success or Failure
of Measure.
HOOVER IS CHIEF HOPE
BY RAYMOND CLAPPER,

BY RAYMOND CLAPPER,
United Press stan Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Feb. 5. - Dry
leaders are making plans for heavy
mobilization just as Herbert Hoo
yer takes Office for they have de-
cided he. is the chief hope upon
which the success. of federal pro-
hibition rests.
They feel that if Hoover. with
his reputation as an organizer. is
unable to whip the prohibition en-
forcement weapon, nobody can and
that modification is likely to be the
next step.
This is the situation which under
lies much that is happening with
regard to prohibition.
Drys are backing the $24,00O,000
proposed additional enforcement
appropriation in order to give Hoo
yer all of the money he will need.
They would leave him no alibi so
that hi could plead lack of funds
in event of failure.
Talk Prohibition Transfer
Hoover already has discussed with
Secretary Andrew Mellon the pos
Sibility of transferring prohibition
enforcement from the treasury de-
partment to the department of
Justice That is where Mellon always
has thought it ought to be-in the
law enforcement branch of the
government,
1t was placed in the treasury de-
partment, because it could then be
tied up with the internal revenue
machinery which had administered
the excise tax in prohibition
days and was regarded as a highly
efficient organization in dealing
with moonShinerS.
Professional drys have opposed
transfer to the department of justice
in years gone by but now with the
prospect that Mellon is TO continue
for some time at the head of the
treasury department and the further
likelihood that Mrs. Mabel Will
lebrandt is to remain as assistant
attorney general in charge Of pro-
hibition cases, the dryS are not so
hostile.
Squirt in Activities
Meantime, there has been squirt
of activity by drys. One OF the
periodic attempts to dry up Wash
ington is afoot. The Rev. Clinton
Howard, Rochester, N. Y, head of
the united committee for law en-
forcement, is holding mass meetings
here demanding that something be
done to drive liquor out of the ma
tons capital.
REPRESENTATIVE Pou dem, N.
c. in house debate on the $24,000,-
900 appropriation, declared liquor
conditions were Scandalous and that
the law f1agrantly was disobeyed
even in the house of congress itself
which was not regarded as news
here.
ANY one around Washington who
has the time and the inclination to
tell tales could regale the visitor by
the hour on the subject OF law OBJ
servance among senators and con-
greSsmen.
Major Hesse, superintendent of
police here, recently proposed law
for the District of Columbia which
would make the buyer OF liquor
equally guilty with the bootlegger.
Congress for certain reasons is not
very enthusiastic about this SuggeS-
ton.
The Federal Council of Churches
has launched drive to approach
persons who do social drinking"
and try to talk them into law OBJ
Servance.
Some Smith Democrats here pro-
posed to discourage drinking by
suggesting guests who voted for
Hoover decline cocktails But the
movement died an early death for
lack of cooperation among the
guests.
Preach on Prohibition
The nations clergymen have been
asked to preach on prohibition
March 3, the day before Hoover is
inauglrated.
Hoover has plenty of other prob
lens, but it is evident the dry forces
which masSed unitedly behind him
regardless of party in the last cam
paign are determined to press their
case now. They bluntly say they
expect Hoover to make good.
In the meantime. preparations
are being made for the biggest in
auguration since the war Imported
Scotch already is beginning to ar
rive in quantities from Hagerstown,
Nd, it is reoprted and Booths fine
English gin is coming in fresh from
industrial alcohol denaturing plants.
Thus far prices ar steady.