Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-20
SENATE TOPROBE
STAYTON LETTER
Wet's Remark on Hoover's
Changing Dry Attitude to
Be Investigated.

The Senate lobby investigating COM
hnittee, It was learned yesterday will
probe deeply into the assertion of VIII
Liam H. Stayton, chairman of the board
of the Association Against the Prohi-
bition Amendment, that after talks with
s'Senators, members of Congress and
public officials here" 1t was his feeling
that President Hoover is beginning to
wonder whether prohibition can be en-
forced" So. -t.*s
Along with information that Senator
v. H. Garaway Democrat, OF Arkansas,
chairman of the lobby committee, Is
to summon Mr.. Stayton to divulge the
identity Of the public officials and legis-
lators with whom he has talked, Mr..
Stayton. announced this afternoon that
he would not hesitate tv comply.
Mr.. STATIONS views were expressed
In q letter marked absolutely conf
Dental" to Charles S. Wood Of Phila-
celphia, vice president of the aSsocia.
ton, about two months ago. He urged
Mr.. Wood to have Gen. w. w. After
bury, q director of the association and
president Of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
come to Washington to testify before
the House judiciary committee because
this testimony would lead "a great
MANY people to be more generous as
30 Mr.. Hoover's attitude"
At the same time, it was announced
yesterday afternoon, that the House
Judiciary committee would resume its
1ong-interrupted hearings on prohibition,
probably Wednesday.
Will Hear Rebuttal.
This committee had heard voluminous
testimony by both vets and drys and Is
now to hear wet rebuttal. Among the
witnesses to be brought on by the vets
for this rebuttal are william W. Roper.
famous Princeton foot ball coach, who
will. disagree, it is reported, with the
dry testimony offered by Coach A. A.
Etagg of Chicago University; Pierre du
Point of the Association Against the
Prohibition Amendment, who previously
testified that the most responsible men
of the country should get together to
control the liquor traffic; Gen. Clarence
Edwards of Boston, former commander
of the 26th Division in France, and
DIR. F. w. Buck, secretary of the Fed
eral Dispensary Tax Reduction League.
The greatest interest revolves around
the identity of Senators, Representatives
and Government officials whom Mr..
Stayton says he will name as those
who impressed him with the feeling
that Mr.. Hoover sis beginning to doubt
whether prohibition can be enforced"
Il have had these conversations with
the legislators and public officials and
] am perfectly ready to 60 on the stand
said Mr.. Stayton.
Mr.. Stayton held that the committee
had no legal right to send to his Office
and go through his personal files, from
which the letter came, but added:
Questions Legal Right.
$50 long as am doing a public work
with public money, did not object to
It. If the committee wants to use a
thing which is marked confidential, it
has the right to do so, but it had no
legal right to take the correspondence
away from my ONCE. It could have
subpoenaed me with the correspond
ence." s
Senator Arthur r. Robinson of In
diana, the only regular Republican on
the lobby committee, said yesterday
that the committee would insist upon
Mr.. Stayton disclosing the names of
those whom he says advised him. SEN
ators Caraway and Thomas j. Walsh
of the. COMMITTEES are to be equally In
Bistent, and as Democratic drys are
expected To dwell ut considerable
length ON this phase of the tiiyesti-
CATION. go - : 9s4s r.
Senator John J. blaine, Republican,
of wisconsin, Is the only member of
the lobby committee who might be said
10 be wet.
Senator william E. Borah, Repub-
Hcan, Of Idaho, whose dry tendencies
are nationally known, is member of
the committee, though he has taken
little part In its investigations over
past months.
Henry H. Curran Of New York,
president of the Association Against
the Prohibition Amendment, Is to be
the first witness when the lobby COM
HnIttee convenes on Tuesday. Mr.. Cur
ran, In testimony this week, disclosed
that his association Is militant against
prohibition and viii go into the Fall
political campaign with q $1,000, 900
"war chest to bring to Washington
wet members of Congress.