The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-05-28
THE LITERARY DIGEST POLL.

Three ndisputable facts stand out as a result of the Prohibition Poll of the Literary Digest, the final report of which has just been made public Pro and con, numerous conclusions undoubtedly will be drawn. Statistcians will undertake to deduce all sorts of facts from the of figures and theorists draw upon them for proof to support their own theories
 The most important, see it, thing 1t proved, was the extent of popular interest in the Prohibition issue This is clearly demonstrated by the number of ballots returned The Digest calls attention to the fact that out of 20000O00 ballots distributed, 4806464 were returned perfectly marked and in addition there some 100000 defective ballots. It compares this with the up to then record poll of 1928 when 2,767.263 votes cast in the Hoover-Smth Presidential poll, out of 19,000000 mailed out. The conclusion is obvious that the nation is great deal concerned about the Prohibition issue and its settlement than it was over whether Hoover or Smith should be Presi- dent
 That is not the only evidence afforded of the latest polls popularity Newspapers all the country, whether against Prohibition or favoring it. have followed the reports from day to day in their columns and commented the vote from time to time This reflected the attitude of the reading public. Even foreign newspapers and magazines have kept track of the voting. Public speakers have praised it and attacked it. Wet Dry, it hasn't been ignored by anyone
 The vote cast has unquestionaby demonstrated a majority of the people of the United States are dissatisfied with conditions that exist today gards Prohibition. In uncertain tone, through the Digests poll they have voiced their desire for a change. Only a small majority stand pat on Enforcement is The combined vote for modifi- cation and repeal is a demand for a change, it's two elements disagreeing perhaps in the degree of alteration wanted. Out of the number counted B. o42366 votes, or 6953 per cent. of the total voted for change while 30.46 per cent voted to keep the present system in effect.
 The third undenable fact revealed by the poll, and 1t was in some astounding, the strong sentiment throughout the country for out right repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment. Almost 100000 out of the four and three-quarters millions tabulated so expressed themselves This was even larger proportionately than most optimistic Vets had expected, and certainly must have come with shocking force to the Drys
 Five States gave majorities for repeal being matched by like number for enforcement But in 20 States and the District of Columbia the Vets were in the plurality as compared to Dry pluralities in IT other States Thus the Wet States combined with those giving puralities for repeal actually constitute a majority of all the States oi the Union, totalng 25 against 9 for enforce ment and for modification.
 The repeal vote standing alone is worthy ot serious study More than 40 per cent of the vote boiled stood for taking the Eighteenth Amend. ment out of the Constitution and the volstead Act off the statute books If for the sake of the point the absolutely Dry vote is combined with the nlodi ficationsts still the majority arrived at is no sufficiently large to justify the imposition of it. will cn so numerically strong minority Tht