Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-26
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
GETS HOTEL PARTY
DATA FROM DORAN
Rover Starts Study of Al
legged Rum Affair-Ignores
Bro0khart.

! A report made to DR.. James M.
Doran, prohibition commissioner, by
dry agents on a party at the Carlton
| Hotel, which was aired in the Senate
by Senator Howell, was in the hands
of United States Attorney Leo A. Rover
today. Mr.. Rover said he was studying
the report and would issue statement
later.
Asked today if he planned to follow
up charges made by him in the Senate
yesterday that TASKS were In evidence
at dinner in the Willard Hotel which
he and other Senators attended, Sena-
tor Brookhart, Republican of Iowa, de-
clared that should I make complaint
against anybody, 1t would be against Ghc
district attorney for not doing mis- duty
Senator Brookhart explained that
what he meant was that the only COM
plaint he would make would be If he
thought the district attorney was not
doing his duty. The Senator said that
it seemed to be the position of the dis
trict attorney that complaint should
be made to him, whereas, the Senator
takes the view that when the district
attorney knows where a witness is 1t is
the district attorneys duty to call the
witness.
Senator Brookhart declared his will
ingness late yesterday to go before the
grand jury and tell what he knows
about the dinner. but said this morning
that he had heard nothing from the
district attorneys Office.
Waits on BrOokhart.
Mr.. Rover late yesterday afternoon
said 1t was not his intention to
summon Senator Brookhart, but that
if the Iowa Senator came to him with
a report on the party he would go
into the case.
The first reference to the dinner
came during debate in the Senate two
days ago, when, during a discussion Of
prohibition enforcement here, the Iowa
Senator told of the incident. He said
at that time that a man named "Fahy"
of New York had given the dinner for
the purpose of meeting newly-elected
and reelected Senators. Senator Brook
hart said he had seen TASKS under the
table behind a curtain.
The Iowa Senator yesterday after
noon said that if the district attorney
wanted to look into the matter the
thing for him to do would be to call
him before the grand jury. He said
that If requested he would not hold back
because he was member of Congress.
Within Time Limit.
Although Senator Brookhart did not
disclose the date of the dinner, he said,
in answer to questions. that it took
place at a time that would still fall
within the statute Of limitations.
Senator Howell, Republican, OF Ne
braSka, whose speech in the Senate last
Saturday gave rise to the whole dis
cussion on enforcement here, also re-
ferred today to the dinner incident
raised by Senator Brookhart.
Senator Brookhart has volunteered
to go before the grand jury" said Sena-
tor Howell. That is a test. Is there
the will to enforce the law?"
Senator Howell pointed out that the
question he raised in his speech last
Saturday was whether there is the will
to bring about enforcement.
The Nebraskan Senator also said to-
day that it was his understanding that
in the District of Columbia an officer
must have evidence of sale in order to
obtain a search warrant in a prohibi-
ton case, and that the warrant could
not be obtained If the officer only had
knowledge of manufacture or possession.
Senator Howell reiterated today his
belief that conditions in Washington
are better than in most places, but en-
phasized the point that there is
greater opportunity for enforcement in
the National Capital than elsewhere be-
cause of the Federal control here.