Evening star., 1930-11-30
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

coming to Washington questions which
suggest that the aSkerS expect some
thing immediate-and drastic-to be
done in the direction of change in the
present laws dealing with liquor. Some
of the questions sent to Washington,
and rumors brought here by apparently
responsible and thoughtful persons, in
dicate the existence of a widespread feel
ing, especially in wet territory, that pro-
hibition Is on the eve of being ended
or drastically modified.
That question can be answered very
briefly. The Congress that meets on
Monday will do nothing whatever about
prohibition. Perhaps the broadness OF
that assertion ought to be qualified just
q little It is a fact that the Wicker
sham Commission for the study of pro-
hibition and allied questions is in ses-
sion. 1t is probable the commission
will make some recommendations before
this Congress ends. It Is just family
possible that Congress may act on some
Of those recommendations. They will
not do so as respects any recommenda-
tions that may be revolutionary
there are any such.
The net of it is that as respects pro-
hibition the country should understand
that the Congress meeting next Monday
Is the old Congress, the one that has
the last year. It Is not the new Con-
gress. Being the old Congress, it has
substantially the same lineup on pro-
hibition as this Congress has always
had. That Is to say, it is q dry Con-
gres-strongly dry. There is hardly the
fainteSt possibility of its taking any
step about prohibition. All the rumors
about breweries getting ready to open
have no substance in fact If they are
sI-o a. - -
legalized or that anything similar Is to
be done about prohibition during this
Congress.
Has "a Days to Live.
With that question out Of the way, the
Congress meeting on Monday can be
considered with respect to the things II
must do or ought to do-and the addi-
tional things 1t may do. 1t Is the final
session of the old Congress. 1t begins
on Monday, and 1t must end automati-
cally at IL o'clock March 4. Its total
life, therefore, is "a days, plus the 10
or 20 minutes grace it will take for
itself through the ancient device Of the
clerk turning the hands Of the clock
back on March 4.
From these "a days must be deducted
13 Sundays, as well as a recess Of about
seven days at Christmas time and two
holidays, Lincoln's birthday and Wash
1ngton's, during February: With these
ly, u working days.
Upon this enforced brevity Of the
session hangs much Of the speculation
about its program. One thing 1t must
do, and ought to dot must pass the
appropriation bills which are indiSpens-
able to keep the Government depart
ments going. If it should fail to pass
any Of the departmental appropria-
$nns, Government employees would
cease to receive their salaries at the end
Of the fiscal year. Since this Is un-
thinkable. it would result, if Congress
should not pass the appropriation bills.
that the President would be obliged to
call a special session soon after March
"A special session not Of this Con-
gress, for it dies on March 4, but of the
new Congress, the one elected this
month.
After the possibility or the probabil-
fly that the President may be thus
forced, much discussion RACES. One
might almost say that the principal in
terest attaching to the Congress meet
ing next Monday is whether 1t will so
conduct itself as to make necessary or
NJ. make necessary special session OF
the new Congress.
The coming session has 72 days of
Hfe, and that Is ample for the passage
Of the regular appropriation bills, pro-
vided their passage is not delayed. Con-
gress, when it is in the mood to do so.
can pass appropriation bills at the rate
of one every two or three days. Prac-
tically all the work on appropriation
bills is done in advance by the respec-
tive committees. Always, however. there
is in one or more Of the appropriation
bills some provision - other that pro-
vokes discussion The discussion is
sometimes prolonged. In the naval ap-
preparation bill that will be presented to
this Congress, for example, there will
be q provision for new construction.
Out Of that provision will arise some
discussion, inspired partly by those who
think the United States should at once
begin and as early as possible COM
plete building up its Navy to the full
strength fixed in the recent naval treaty
with Great Britain.
The appropriation bills could be
passed most comfortably within tn, life
of the session. But there are other
matters; there are matters of legisla-
ton. Some are indispensable; Others
not indispensable, are ardently desired
by factions within Congress. Both the
Is desired by factions will consume time
And the consumption of time may be
such as leave toward the end Of the
session not enough time to pass the
appropriation bills. The question
whether there will be necessity for a
special session Of the new Congress will
continue to be the subject Of excited
discussion up TO within "a hours OF
March 4.
Appointments May Delay.
One of the int 5pensable matters
one Of the matters that must he at
tended tbs the confirmation by the
Senate Of appointments to important
public Office made by President Hoover.
Among them are Eugene Meyer to the
extremely powerful office Of governor OF
the Federal Reserve Board and Henry
p. Fletcher to the recently enlarged
ONCE Of chairman Of the Tariff Com
'[ssion. Against these and against
.yome other Of President Hoovers ap-
pointments some Senators will wish To
make battle Senator Brookhart OF
Iowa, for example, says he will oppose
the confirmation of Mr.. Meyer. From
present signs, Senator Brookhart in this
enterprise will hav little support from
his fellow Senators, for most OF even
the more radical recognize Mr.. Meyer
fitness and character. But to be alone
in his opposition will not deter Senator
Brookhart. The objection Of even one
Senator, II he is a verbose one, and the
replies necessary to be made by advo-
Gates Of an appointment can readily
consume as much as Senate day. n
addition to Mr. Meyer and Mr.. Fletcher
there are some minor appointments tha'
viii encounter opposition from groups
of Senators large or small. It woulc
not be extravagant to estimate that
week or 10 days Of the coming sessicr
may be consumed in the consideration
Of appointments alone.
Apart from appointments and TIT
routine appropriation bills, there Is ont