Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-01

Washingtons degree of "wetness' and
what may be done about it has become
subject of national interest through
Senator Howell's charge that the Capt.
toll is one of the wet spots Of the coun-
try, and President Hoover's response
in the form of a demand for evidence
and a promise that Washington will be
made a model Of law enforcement.
Strongly critical of the Senator, the
Fort Wayne News-Sentinel remarks:
las the gentleman from Nebraska says,
he spoke from what is common knowl-
that in the National
Capital, as in almost every other city,
violation Of the Volstead act Is regular
routine procedure for thousands But
in the absence of concrete information,
what is to be done about it-even by
the President of the United StateS?"
much. by example and public utterances,
to uphold prohibition to the letter" de-
clares the Newark Evening News. What
more he can do is problematical. Sen
ator Howell could do something to help
II he made his allegations specific. Per-
haps he can demonstrate that 1t Is
easier to dry up Washington than
Newark" The Detroit News feels that,
probably without meaning to do so,
Senator Howell implied doubt OF the
Presidents strict observance OF his oath
of ONCE. That was something President
Hoover could not brook. He has
served notice that any Senator who
criticizes the White House. however In
directly, must come down to distinct
president Hoover was led by Senator
Howell" according to the New YORK
Sun, Into q declaration that Washing
ton would be made model OF law en-
forcement If 1t is not that already.
This was the promise of courageous
man. II Washington becomes perfectly
dry, the only evidence Of its arid1ty Will
be negative. If it remains wet in spots,
no matter how small they are. there
will be Howells and others to point TO
them and say, See, the President, with
ali his power, has failed!' That will be
unfair, of course. but complete fairness
is not expected in political discussions
of rum"
"Other Senators and Representatives
have made similar complaints" recalls
the Chicago Daily News. Now Is the
time for persons with knowledge OF
fragrant violations Of the law to give
the proper authorities at the Capital
the benefit Of their knowledge. If the
authorities have succeeded IN drying
up notorious wet spots in Washington
hotels, they have accomplished some
thing which long has needed their at
tention, Visitors to the Capital, who In
the past have been kept awake by the
maudlin singing of asserted soaks, while
the latter absorbed their tipple through
the watches of the night, have reason
to think that at least a silencer has
been put upon the process"
In that place." advised the Hartford
Times, Congress not only has the
power of legislation. but 1t has the
bower of enforcement Under such cir
cumstances, either Congress can make
Washington dry, If it but will, or, II
washington, where Congress controls,
cannot be made reasonably dry, then
there is a scant reason for hope OF pro.
hibition enforcement elsewhere, and
little sense in attacking cities like New
York, Philadelphia and Chicago Tor
their failure"
Calling the situation dramatic and
decisive test" the Omaha World Herald
argues: From the issue raisee. the enai.
lenge so boldly thrown down, there
can be no escape. Can prohibition be
enforced, will 1t be enforced, in Wash
inpton. D. c.? It can be more easily
enforced there than elsewhere, because
there is no conflict of authority. AL
the power that law can give is in the
Presidents hands. And the President.
whose integrity is beyond any question,
is vouched for by the forces that have
made prohibition political shibboleth:"
"That the Federal prohibition officials
have been raising smoke screen about
the lack of cooperation on the part
of State officials everywhere has never
been better exemplified than an their
own lack Of enforcement within the
shadows of the National Capitol" as
serts the Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch.
while the Kansas City Journal-Post
takes the extreme position that wash
ington can be made as dry as a bone"
and that real prohibitionists should
welcome the chance to show to other
cities, not similarly circumstanced. the
advantages of q city that is both prac-
tically and theoretically dry"
1--WE will await developments" an-
nounees the Little Rock Arkansas