Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-04
BOrah Stirs Renewed Debate
On Prohibition Enforcement

Both friends and foes of prohibition
have been drawn into the debate started
by Senator Borah and other members
Of Congress over the efficiency of the
WickerSham Law Enforcement Commits
| sion and of the Government officials
| charged with the duty of enforcing the
law.
Mr.. Borah's sweeping condemnation
OF the present personnel from top to
bottom OF the Federal Prohibition
Bureau" in the opinion Of the Spring
field. Mass, Republican. might easily
| be Interpreted as complete giveaway
OF the prohibition cause Naturally
there are those who give it that inter-
| probation. They argue that If the pres
| ent force, largely a product OF Civil
Service, competitive examinations, Is as
utterly worthless for enforcement pur-
| poses as Mr.. Borah has indicated, it is
hopeless to expect satisfactory results
OF any force that might be established
hereafter. Mr.. Borah obviously used
| the language OF exaggeration-perhap
| with elaboration for a special purpose.
But from the dry viewpoint his Ian
guage was dangerous to his own cause"
| \ X k*
"Mr. Borah may say that the COM
| mission Is useless. That Is his private
| opinion" says the Columbus Ohio State
| Journal. He may charge that the
present enforcement personnel will
never make the law effective. That Is
almost an obvious truth, but still comes
within the category of personal opinion.
| But Borah may not say conclusively
| that the personnel from top to bottom
Is unwilling to enforce the law, because
that is a reflection upon the good char
acter OF some, is harmful. and. besides
being an opinion, Is a specific charge
that he must prove before 1t Is
| acceptable"
His attack was, "of course. too sweep
ing" according to the Chattanooga
News. which asserts that there are
many efficient cogs in the prohibition
| machinery and we believe that
progress has been steady Mr.. Borah
might have recognized that fact instead
OF indicting the entire personnel" con-
cludes the News. The Spokane Spokes-
Review, expressing its esteem for
Senator Borah, feels that 1.-The admis-
sion Is compelled that he spoke without
adequate consideration" The Spokane
paper adds that recent disclosures in
the Occur d'Alenes might lead some to
the conclusion. perhaps erroneous, that
conditions In Senator Borah's State are
not up to the average. SO far as prohibit
ton enforcement goes"
| 4 4 y
A warning comes from the Detroit
News In the statement: 1.-The worst
harm strict prohibitionists can do the
cause consists III imputing unworthy
motives TO all who criticize Illegal means
OF enforcing the dry laws. If those laws
are not strict enough, 1t Is up to Con-
greSs to amend them. But not even
Congress can override the Constitu-
tion's limitations on searches and
seizures"
Statement that "a mans home is his
castle" made the foundation for the
attack on Judge Paul j. Mccormick OF
the Law Enforcement Commission, is
discussed by the Omaha World Herald
with the statement: THE policeman on
the beat who essays to be a tyrant be-
cause of the uniform the star, and the
stick that he carries Is more a breeder
of criminals than a guardian against
them. The court that sanctions the
acts of officers who themselves break
the law In seeking lawbreakers, is un-
dermining the citizens confidence IL
justice"
"Borah supported the President II
1928" recalls the New York Sun
largely because Mr. Hoover was a dry
Now the Idaho orator condemns the
personnel in charge of prohibition en-.
forcement, although Mr.. Hoover tool
pains to name q dry Attorney Genera
and to retain prohibition commits.
sioner whose sympathy with the law /:
famous And wasn't 1t Senator Borsf
, I! who admitted, In his debate with DR.
Butler, that it might require centuries
TO complete the reform aimed at b!