Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-08
HAYES DENOUNCES
PROHIBITION PLAN
Tells Radio Audience Shep-
pard Proposal Would Give
BootIegger Security.

ton of the proposed amendment TO the
Volstead act to make the purchaser OF
liquor equally guilty with the seller, in
the opinion of Senator Harry b. Halves
of Missouri, who denounced the plan
in an address last night in the National
Radio Forum arranged by The Star
and sponsored by the Columbia Broad
casting Co.
ut would give additional security to
the bootlegger, provide a new field for
the blackmailer and create an enlarged
'gangland'," declared Senator Halves.
Senator Halves spoke in reply to Sen
ator Sheppard OF Texas, sponsor OF the
proposed amendment, who delivered an
address in favor of it last week.
II should much prefer" said Senator
HAYES, ito discuss an amendment to
the Volstead act which would, by modi-
f1cation, aid law enforcement and lessen
crime"
Frank Confession of Failure.
Se called the Sheppard amendment a
"TrsA.lk confession that prohibition
under the present law has measurably
failed"
because of this partial failure" h
added, I'VE are now asked to include
many millions of our people in new
criminal class and to add to the power
and immunity of the bootlegger b.;
ClOS1A1S tAlC Va AAAO OtAobOAAACAS
under threat of five years servitude in
the penitentiary and $4,000 fine for
the purchase of a beverage which con-
tairls more than one-half of per cent
of alcohol"
IF the law is to be changed to in
clude the purchaser, Senator Halves de-
cIared that the question should be sub
Initted to the people in a referendum
and in the form of a new amendment
IA fhp Constitution He rrnClCfn6 Cllnh
a referendum would show some very
strange results" and that every boot
logger and vender of liquor would favor
It ~aS they did in the recent Nova
Scotia election"
'Nova Scotia is the last of the big
Canadian provinces to change from
dry to wet" he said.
Underworld Has Grown.
Senator Halves said that since the
passage of the VolStead act "the under
world in America has grown to such
alarming proportions that the nations
are amazed at our record of crime"
'sIf this amendment is adopted" con-
tinued Senator Halves, land you should
then be a witness to- such a sale of
liquor or have information of it, you
could be called upon either to testify
or commit a perjury. Three newspaper
reporters have been sent to jail in
Washington because they refused to
testify regarding investigations of boot
Logging made by them"
Senator Halves speech In full follows:
Fellow Citizens:
Senator Sheppard of Texas, my per-
Sonal friend, an able, conscientious and
industrious legislator has proposed
new amendment to the Volstead act.
= This proposed amendment is a frank
confession that prohibition under the
present law has meaSurably failed, and
because of this partial failure we are
now asked to include many millions of
our people in a new criminal class, and
to add to the power and immunity of
the bootlegger by closing the mouths of
his customers under threat of five years
Servitude in the penitentiary and a
$4,000 fine for the purchase of beverage
which contains more than one-half of
per cent of alcohol
In my opinion, this amendment would
impede law enforcement and promote
lawlessnesS. It would give additional
security to the bootlegger, provide a
new field for the blackmailer and create
an enlarged "gangland"
Tne eighteenth amendment limits its
inhibition to manufacture, sale and
transportation. 1t does not include pur-
chase, and the congressional debates
disclose that this was not an accidental
omission, but that it was purposely and
designedly eliminated from the conStitu-
tional amendment by Congress.
: Prefers Plan to Lessen Crime,
I should much prefer to discuss an
amendment to the Volstead act which
would, by modification, aid law enforce
ment and lessen crime.
But we have under consideration only
one subject: Making the purchaser
equally guilty with the. seller under the
Volstead act.
Since the passage of the volstead act
the underworld in America has grown
to such alarming proportions that the
nations are amazed at our record of
crime. Public executions of gangsterS
by gangsterS, murder after murder are
committed largely because this new and
profitable industry of bootlegging has
thrown into contact with the thief and
the burglar new and prosperous class
Of criminals.
are "WetS" or "drys" prohibitionists or
anti-prohibitionists, and will look upon
this new proposal in the light of COM
mon sense, and with sound thought of
the future OF our country and our
homes.
We cannot close our minds to the
TACT that, with one exception, the United
states Is the only Nation in the world,
including Europe, Asia, Africa, Austria
liza, Central and South America = which
prohibits the absolute sale of vinous,
spirftuous and malt liquors for bever-
age purposes. The one exception is the
Ittie~rstate Of Finland. and even there
inc sole of per cent beer is permitted.
With this worldwide isolation in our
experiment, we should, before further
amendment. consider some of the pro-
visions OF the present law.
Today, If you happen to have a bottle
OF wine, or whisky, containing IL to rs
per cent of alcohol, you may defend its
possession in one of three ways: First,
by contending that you have had it IL
years; second, by asserting that it is in
Tended for sacramental purposes; or.
third, by showing that you obtained it
on ? medicinal prescription.
No Defense for Beer.
But do you realize that If you have
q bottle or beer containing more than
0ne-hah OF per cent alcohol. you have
no legal defense and If you sell a bottle
Of beer containing more than one-half
OF l per cent of alcohol you may be
prosecuted and sent to the penitentiary
Tor flve years and fined $4,000.
Under the present law, the man with
whisky or wine has three defenses The
man with beer" with an alcoholic con-
tent OF more than one-half of per
cent has no defense The doctor is
forbidden to prescribe it; you could not
nave kept 1t since 1918; and it is not
sanctioned for sacramental purposes
VINE has three defenses, whisky has
Two and beer none.
AT the present time we not only pro-
vide Tor Furnishing violators of the Vol
stead law by sentence to the peniten-
tlary for period of five years and by
the payment of $4,000 fine, but, upon
Their conviction, their automobiles or