Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-27
Enforcement LEGISLATION.

The House bill for the transfer of pro-
hibition enforcement from the Treas
ury Department to the Department OF
Justice has finally been reported to the
Senate. 1t passed the House weeks ago,
the first Of the measures recommended by
President Hoover and his Law Enforce
ment Commission to strengthen the en-
forcement of prohibition. In the in
term it has reposed in the Senate
judiciary committee. The criticisms of
prohibition and its enforcement which
have occurred with daily frequency on
Capitol Hill and elsewhere have scarce
1y speeded up consideration of measures
proposed after an intensive study of the
whole question. Furthermore, it APP
pears that this transfer bill Is the only
measure Of the half dozen legislative
proposals advanced by the administra-
ton which stands a chance of being
enacted into law at the present session.
II there is any hurry about the i'm
provement of enforcement conditions,
there has been little indication of 1t
at the Capitol so far. Instead, great
deal of time has been given by congress
sional committees to the merits and de-
merits of prohibition, with the vets in
sisting constantly that prohibition can
not be and never will be enforced.
The transfer bill now favorably re-
ported to the Senate seemingly has no
enemies, certainly none sufficient in
number to check its passage through
the Senate. 1t has long been admitted
that the logical and reasonable place
for the prohibition enforcement unit
is in the Department of Justice. The
Department Of Justice must in the end
deal with the prosecutions of the viola
tons Of the dry laws. The detection
of these violations should come under
the same department OF the Govern
ment. The bill, 1t Is expected, will be
taken up for consideration In the SEN
ate at an early date. While its pas
sage appears to be assured. it doubt
less will be used as a vehicle to debate
the whole prohibition question again.
Despite its ten years Of life, national
prohibition must be considered largely
In the experimental stage. The under
lying principle Of the eighteenth amend
n1ent Is the suppression Of the traffic
In intoxicating liquor. 1t is that traffic
which has defied law. which has sought
to control politics and government in
the past, to the detriment Of both. The
struggle against the bootlegger and
speakeasy today is a continuance Of the
struggle against the Illicit liquor dealer
Of pre-prohibition days and the dealer
who sought to control government The
Government and the people sought for
years to deal effectively with the liquor
traffic before prohibition was adopted.
But the liquor traffic would not remain
within the limits to which 1t might
have been confined with some measure
Of propriety. Liquor wished to control.
1t was that which made the traffic a
stencil In the nostrils Of millions Of
Americans. That Congress should
hesitate and delay in the adoption of
measures calculated to suppress Illegal
liquor traffic is not in keeping with
the best interests of America. This
should be the view of citizens whether
they favor or do not favor national
prohibition. Prohibition should have a
fair trial.