New Britain herald., 1930-02-20
More Artillery Ready

" NdSnln2tOn, Feb. @h i1f-Op- ponents Of the prohibition laws to- day ranged their heavy artillery against the anti-liquor statutes and conditions attributed 10 them in tho house judiciary committees hearing on measures proposing that the 18th amendment be repealed.
 Two men of prominent and power in the industrial World--W w. .At- terbury, president of the Pennsyl- yania railroad and Pierre $. Du- pont, chairman of the board of the E, l. Dupont Dc Nemours company occupied conspicuous places on the list of witnesses drawn up for today's session.
 More than q dozen persons os- pousing the wet cause remained 10 he heard, making it improbable that the prohibition side of the argtl- mcnt could he completed before the close of the day, although the com mlttcc had decided to limit it's in- quiry to four days for each side, with the fourth for the vets comjnH to- day.
 However, Chairman Graham said that the committee had no desire 10 place an arbitrary limit upon the time to be devoted to the hearings and indicated that should the vets be unable 10 conclude the prcscnta- ton Of their evidence by nightfal they would he enabled to do so when the hearings are resumed next week The hearings will be in recess after today until next Wednesday.
 Among the vets remaining to be heard. in addition to Atterbury and Dupont, were Dr. Samuel H. Church Of Pittsburgh, president of the Car ncgie Institute, Mrs. W. ". Mont- somery and Robert K. Cassatt, q banker, both of Philadelphia, Dr. Charles Norris, New York city health official, Ralph NJ. Shaw. q Chicago attorney, and John C. Gebhart, head of the research department of the association against the prohibition amendment.
 The phrase the Protestant church lobby crcpt into the hearings late yesterday. Henry E. Joy Of Detroit, former president of the Packard Motor Co, was on the stand, and as serted that "thc financial packers and church men of the Protestant lobby have a heavy responsibility for the deaths, sulfcrings and crime which they have brought about and arc continuing to cause"
 T fully realize the stranglchold the Allied Protestant church lobby has on the congress and it's strong influence on our government" he said. we have confidence that th. backbone of this lobby will be broken and that our statesmen will help us to find our way back to freedom and temperance"
 The committee ruled out Of order references 10 President Hoover and Chairman Wickcrsham of the law enforcement commission which were included in Joys testimony. Tn. witness was reading q prepared statement asserting that the latter had been identified with the "churc|i lobby and Fit was entirely possible tIttC -hi. " 4GhtI SIlifll llttu l1Ol jttIi entirely frank with President Hoo yer before being selected for the chairmanship of the crime research group"
 In one of the infrcqucnt refer cnCC9 10 prohibition from the Scn- ate floor, Mcclellan of Tennessee, q democrat, let it be known late yes  tcrday that while he was opposed to any weakening of the dry laws, he was of the opinion that Secretary Mellon has never really tried to enforce prohibition and no prcs- dent since the eighteenth amend mcnt has been really lntercstcd' in it's enforcement except for political purposes.
 These views were contained in tclcgrams he was sending to q group of Tennessee attorneys who had requested that he vote for tn" repeal of the eighteenth amendment. Senator Brook of Tennessee, had lC- ccived q similar request, and he too asserted that he was opposed to an" modification Of the dry laws.