Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-15
Holds Prohibition Cancer Eat.
ing Moral Fiber of Amer
lean People, However.
PLAN MINIATURE ARMY
TO PATROL U. S. BORDERS
immigration Body Takes Neces-
sary Steps to Garry Out
Hoover Program.

BY the Associated Press.
Representative Beck, Republican.
Pennsylvania, former Solicitor General,
In announcing today that he would not
assume the leadership Of this vet bloc
in the House, said he believed that
no Legislative expedients" would result
in the enforcement Of the prohibition
law.
Asserting that many Of his colleagues
in the House had complimented him by
suggesting that he become chairman of
the wet bloc, Beck said, he had de-
cided not to accept 1t, but added: This
does not imply any lack of sympathy
on my part for the cause.
Cancer Eating Moral Fiber"
is q cancer that is slowly eating out
the moral fiber of the American people.
las the problem will never be finally
solved until the American people by o
very largely pfeponderating majority
have concluded that the experiment Is
both futile and unwise, and as the drys
are not likely to reach that conclusion
until every feasible method has been
tried to enforce the law, it seems to
AAAO uAA0Sy 40 ~ 40 OAAC AA0AA4CpI 0utJ VI
the administration to enforce the policy
Of prohibition, its proposals should be
supported unless they clearly conflict
with the fundamental law"
II share the confidence Of many
thinking men," Beck said, that no
legislative expedients will ever result In
the enforcement Of q law which SO
manifeStly conflicts with human nature
and that the expedients now proposed
and that hA x.r{1f H.,
as ineffective as 1t would be for q sur
geon to apply mustard plaster to
malignant cancer.
with these views shall be glad to
serve IN the ranks of the anti-protibi-
ton group, even though I am disin-,
clined. for many reasons, to assume
the leadership"
Committees Consider Patrol.
Meanwhile the work necessary for
the drafting Of legislation to carry out
President Hoover's sweeping proposals
for strengthening the prohibition en-
forcement machinery got under way In
Congress.
Two Important committees of the
House began consideration Of the ques-
ton OF the border patrol and the pro-
posal to increase the powers Of United
States commissioners to deal with Of
tenders.
The judiciary committee, which viii
have jurisdiction over the subject of
commissioners powers, appointed sub
committee and instructed 1t to act 'as
quickly as possible" on bills by Repre-
sentative Moore Of Virginia and Nc
Keown of Oklahoma, both Democrats.
Hull Outlines Views.
Before the immigration committee,
Commissioner Hull, Of the immigration
Bureau. outlined his views as to the
necessities of the situation as 1t in
volved his activities. Chairman Johnson
said he intended going into the Ques-
lions which would confront the patrol,
as well as Of its powers and duties.
The Senate was again engaged In
the tariff debate, and the prohibition
subject did not come Immediately before
1t, although early committee action Is
expected on some Of the proposals made
by the President and his law enforce
ment commission.
In the House q group Of wet" mem
beers returned to their discussion Of the
question at an informal conference. In
recent years there has been an unoffi-
cial committee in the House known as
that favoring modification Of the pro-
hibition law. It has been only more or
less active. but 1t Is known that some
Of It's members now feel II should an
hOuhSS . 0cA4AA3eS a&ku oAA0 WOkA W IA1et
goal.
Some members of the committee have
advocated that q particular phase Of the
prohibition issue be singled out and
every effort made to obtain q roll call
vote on the proposal. Those of this
thought contend that considerably
more than 100 votes could be mustered
in support Of such move. They assert
that in recent sessions only handful Of
"wets" have voted on wet and dry Ques-
tions and that there are many more
votes in favor of modification among the
435 members than most people realize.
Roll Call Never Taken.
It is admitted in many quarters at the
Capitol that such record vote In the
House would be Of paramount interest.
Many "wets" claim that since prohi-
bition became effective there never has
been and out-and-out roll call vote In
the House on the question. House drys
have never shown concern over such an
issue. Their answer has been let the
"wets" arrange for the ballot and I'VE
will supply the votes"
A bill designed to accomplish the
same end was before the House judici-
airy committee today, having been in
troduced yesterday by Representative
McKeown, Democrat, Oklahoma. This
committee was called In session for
other business. but 1t was thought that
before adjourning 1t might set q date
for consideration Of the subject.