Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-21
Mcbride Sees Cut of 8 or 8
Votes in Lower Chamber
This Fall.
NO LOSS OF STRENGTH
SEEN IN UPPER BODY
Battle Centers in Massachusetts,,
Illinois, Delaware, Ohio, Mon
tana and Nebraska.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

National prohibition, now that all
the nominations for the congressional
elections have been made except in q
State or two, looms as an issue in the
coming elections scarcely less impora
tant than the clash between the Rec
publican and Democratic parties.
1t is quite true that the vets have
no chance of gaining control of eitheF
the Senate or the House Indeed, after
all the returns are in both houzes VIII
rate extremely dry. This is true
whether the Republicans or the Demo-
Gratis have control. But it is also true
that the vets stand to win places in
the Senate and House which hitherto
have been dry. If they do, even though
the gains be comparatively few, the
elections will be hailed by the vets as
an evidence that the pendulum il
swinging against national prohibition.
The vets, through the Association
Against the Prohibition Amendment,
have already claimed that primary
elections and announced changes Of
stand by members of the House VINO
have hitherto been dry. will give them
an increase of 81 wet votes in the
House. They are hoping, TOO, to in-
crease the wet representation in the
Senate.
Mcbride Pooh -Poohs Claim.
The Anti-Saloon League. through DR.,
F. Scott Mcbride, general superintens
dent, pooh-pooh these claims. DIR.
Mcbride said yesterday that in effect
the vets will have an actual gain OF
not more than eight or nine votes in
the House. and that the drys may not
lose strength in the Senate at all.
The battle grounds for the vets and
drys in this election are found particu.
larly in Massachusetts,, Illinois, Dela-
ware, Ohio, Montana, Nebraska, ana
possibly in Oklahoma. In the LAST
named State. the Democratic nominee,
former Senator Gore, is claimed by
both the vets and the drys. DR.. Nc.
Bride points to a letter written by
Senator Gore to the State superintand.
ent of the Anti-Saloon League, in
which Gore said that he had always
supported prohibition legislation, that
Oklahoma has had several referen.
dunlS on the subject and gone dry each
time and that he, Gore, would be found
working for temperance" in the future,
On the other hand, Gore had wet
support in the primary election in Oklas
homa, and his use of the word "tems
perance." instead of prohibition" may
be subject to different interpretations.
The vets claim that they. too, are works
ing in the interests of temperance"
Sees Gain in Senate.
DR.. Mcbride sees a dry gain Of two
seats in the Senate already due to the
primary elections, although the recent
declaration of Senator Wheeler of Mon
tana, who is not up for reelection but
who continues to hold Office for an
other four years, in favor of repeal of
the eighteenth amendment Is a loss
to the dryS
I'm Maine" said DR.. Mcbride. Rep
resentative Wallace H. White, dry, has
been elected to succeed Senator Gould,
an announced wet. In PENNSYLVANIA,
Secretary James j. Davis of the De-
partment of Labor has been nominated
by the Republicans for the seat to
which the wet William S. Ware was
elected in 1926. although he was not
permitted by the Senate to take his
seat. Secretary Davis is satisfactory to
the Anti-Salcon League
As a matter Of fact. however. Secre-
tary Davis, whose election is confidently
expected, succeeds Joseph r. /, Grundy,
appointed by the Governor to the va
cancy caused by the refusal of the Sem
ate to seat Ware, and Grundy is a dry.
And Davis, who has been strongly s,Ir,-
ported by organized labor, has no legis-
lative record on the wet and dry
question. He has stood by the Hoover
administration in its demand that the
dry law be enforced. But that is all.
Admits Illinois Loss.
The Anti-Saloon League head admits
that there will be less to the Ndry
cause in the Senate after the senatorial
election in Illinois, no matter whether
former Senator Lewis, wet Democrat.
be the winner or Mrs. Ruth Hanna Me-
Cormick, who has declared she will be
guided by the action of her State in
the referendum en- prohibition being
taken this November He has no hope
Whatever Of electing the dry, independ-
ent Republican candidate Mrs. O'Neill.
But the drys also may lose Senate
seats in the elections in Massachusetts.
Ohio, Delaware, Montana and Nebraska.
In Massachusetts, the Democrats have
nominated not only a wet senatorial
candidate. but wet gubernatorial and
House candidates, against Republican
drys. Senator David l. Walsh of
Massachusetts, himself an ardent wet,
who returned to Washington yesterday
from visit to Cuba, predicted Demo-
cratic sweep in Massachusetts, and laid
great stress on the fact that the Demo-
Gratis are supporting the wet cause
there in making his prediction. Said
Senator Walsh:
Il sincerely believe that the Demo-
cratic party of Massachusetts, will elect
in November a Democratic Governor
and a Democratic United States Sens-
Continued Oh Page ?, Column 81