The Indianapolis times., 1930-05-01
SIX IN CABINET
slap DRY LAW,
PRODERS TOLD
Vets Chief Asserts Hoover
Aids Think Prohibition
Complete Flop.
HINT PRESIDENT WAIVERS
Four Officials Deny Charge
Made Before Senate;
Mellon Silent.


WASHINGTON, May 1.-W. H.
Stayton, chairman of the board OF
the Association Against the Prohi-
bition Amendment, drew the con-
clusion that President Hoover is
beginning to doubt whether proh1-.
bition can be enforced, from mem
bers of the Presidents law enforce
ment commission, he told the SEN
ate lobby committee today
Stayton said individual members
of the commission told him they
were trying to work out some other
plan for the distribution of liquor
than at present" :"
.Stayton said the law enforcement
commission did not tell him about
the Presidents views, but he drew
the Inference" from their remarks.
Names DRY Disbelievers"
Another letter placed in the rec
ord today, written by Stayton, as
serted six members of the cabinet
believe prohibition is failure"
The cabinet officers he meant, he
said, were Secretary of State Slim
son; Secretary of Labor Davis; Sec
retary of Commerce Lamont; Sec
retary of Treasury Mellon; Post
master General Brown and Secre-
tary of Navy Adams.
"You are willing to stick by that
statement?" he was asked.
"Yes."
Secretary Mellon refused TO COM
ment on Stayton's assertion.
Secretary of Commerce Lamont
said there was mo foundation" for
Stayton's statement except that he
was a member of the Association
Against the Prohibition Amend~
ment while a private citizen"
st resigned before joining the cab
met and have not discussed the
since" Lamont said.
Secretary of the Navy Adams de-
clined to comment on Stayton's
statements other than to say there
was no basis for his charges.
Secretary Davis declined to COM
ment off-hand but said he might
issue a statement later.
Placed on Record
Chairman CaraWay questioned
Stayton about the letter referring
to President Hoover, which was
placed in the committees record
several days ago.
Stayton said in the letter he got
the impression of the Presidents
views from talking with members OF
congress and public officials.
Whom did you have converse
tions with?" Caraway asked.
with four members of the Wick
ersham commission, Stayton re-
piled.
"Who were they?"
Judge Kenyon, Dean Pound and
Colonel Anderson. I can't remem-
bcr the fourth" Stayton replied.
difference on My Part"
"They told you President Hoover
was beginning to doubt the laws
could be enforced?"
mo, sir. 1t was an inference on
my part"
Stayton said he had been asked
to appear before the commission
and had been asked many questions
about possible substitutes for the
present law.
''They said they we're trying to
work out some other plan for dis
tributing liquor" Stayton said.
From that you thought President
Hoover doubted the law could be
enforced?"
Gives Third Reason
''Not only from that, but because
the commissions preliminary re-
port looked something like
change. I didn't think they would
ask me those questions without
Hoover's knowledge.
"A third reason for my opinion
was that a commission to study re-
cent economic changes Of which Mr..
Hoover was a member before he be-
came President, recently has report
ed, and mentioned only three effects
of prohibition.
'Those three were, that milk con-
sumption had increased, sugar con-
sumption had increased and the sale
of grapes had increased.
ut leads me to believe the COM
mission had not found much sue
cess in prohibition.
The letter listing the six members
of the cabinet Stayton believed were
against prohibition was written to
DR.. John r. Frost of Philadelphia.