Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-29
Fight Is Threatened Within
Law Commissions Ranks
on Question of Making
Meets Here Open.
JONES AND CAPPER ASK
PUBLIC FOR SUPPORT
Kansan Outlines Program for
More Active Enforcement. Cit
ing Needed Relief in Courts
and Centralized Prohibition
Bureau.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.


With dry Senators clashing
over the proper attitude to be as
sumed, and with a serious fight
threatened within the Presidents
Law Enforcement Commission it
self over the question of having
its hearings open instead of be-
hind closed doors, prohibition en-
forcement continued to hold the
center of the stage in Washing
ton last night.
The Law Enforcement Commis-
sion will meet here January 7. At
that time the question of opening
the hearings will be seriously ad
vanced. Already the question has
seriously agitated the ranks of
the commission. 1t is fact that
the commission is pretty evenly
divided on the subject.
Senator Wesley L. Jones of Washing
ton and Senator Arthur Capper of
Kansas, both ardent "drys," issued
statements designed to assure the pub
lie that the Hoover administration was
moving for a far more stringent en-
forcement of prohibition than ever be-
fore They urged that .he President
be upheld in these efforts to dry up
the country and pointed to the possible
danger from differences among the
drys themselves.
Brings Fresh Borah Blast.
These statements brought another
blast from Senator Borah Of Idaho, who
recently caused a national sensation
by declaring that prohibition could
never be enforced with the present per-
Sonnel of the enforcement agencies.
The CRY stand by the President
has nothing to do with this question,
said Senator Borah. Il presume, OF
course. that the President wants clean
and eficient service, and say to those
Senators that we haven't got that at
the present time.
And washing your hands with sight
less soap in the presence of the Presi-
dent will not bring effective service.
It is necessary to state the facts and
they are going to be stated. assert
that the permit system itssie as it is
being carried on Is scandal-shat IT
Is being used in such way as to de-
moralize the whole enforcement sys-
TEN. And I assert that the law en-
forcement department is responsible for
this. I further state that practically
open saloons are running in the iuris-
diction Of district attorney after dis.
trtct attorney in this country. When
7 say this, I do not man simply New
York or Chicago, I mean to state con-
Giition which prevails throughout the
country.
II do not assume that you can catch
every bootlegger. But the open, I.aunt-
ing, defiant, persistent disregard of the
law, day after day ;Ald month after
month, with no effort being made to
stop it, calls for discussion. That, n
my judgment, is the best way to help
the President and especially to help the
enforcement Of the law"
Vouch for Ho0ver's Sincerity.
The sincerity of President Hoover in
his efforts to bring about enforcement
Of the prohibition laws and all other
laws is testified to by the leading drys
in the Senate, including Senators Jones,
Capper and Sheppard of Texas. The
Chief Executive is recognized as the
driving force in the campaign for bet
ter enforcement.
The belief exists that the President
does not intend to let the Law Enforce
men Commission lag in its work, even
If the commission were inclined to do
90. His recommendations to Congress
dealing with better enforcement of the
prohibition laws were made after con-
sultation with the commission. 1t is
expected that the administration will
drive ahead with this legislative pro-
gram just as soon as the joint commit
to strengthen law enforcement has been
set up The Senate already has acted
in this matter and the House is ex-
pected TO follow suit as soon as the
holidays are at an end.
Formal announcement was made yes
terday by Chairman Wickersham of the
Law Enforcement Commission to the
effect that the commission has had
ready for some time past certain mate
rial and its conclusions respecting ads
ministration. reorganization and rehet
to the courts in regard to certain of
the most urgent questions Of law en-
forcement, which may be useful to the
Joint committee proposed to be created
by Congress to consider legislation to
strengthen law enforcement"
If the Law Enforcement Commission
opens up Its hearings particularly on
prohibition enforcement, it is predicted
that an astonishing mass of informa
ton will be revealed. II the investiga-
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