Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-03
DRY TRANSFER Up
IN HOUSE THURSDAY
Bill Providing Shift to Justice
Department Is Formally
Reported.
Continued From First ragel

ana OLE1eT pLldSSS Ol ILlC pAOlAADAOAOh AL
Those who signed the minority repor
N-ere Representatives Gasque, a dry
Rowbottonn, Republican, indiana, dry
Schafer, Republican, Wisconsin, a wet
Stone, Republican, Oklahoma, a dry
Moore, Democrat Kentucky, dry
Cross, Democrat, Texas, a dry, ant
Montet, Democrat, Louisiana, dry,
Gasque said he would propose tn
minority amendment on the floor.
Williamson said considerable Sentt
ment had developed In favor OF ,GEint
control of industrial alcohol from TIT
Treasury and giving 1t to the Justlc'
In urging that the Attorney Genera
and the Treasury be given joint respon'
sibility on permits, the majority repor'
said:
"Inasmuch as the Attorney General
will be charged with full responsibility
for the enforcement of prohibition
under the act. it was thought that he
should have veto power in the granting
of permits, which function now rests
exclusively with the Secretary Of the
Treasury
aThe bill" the majority report added
"does not change substantial law eX-
cent lust so far as Il may be necessary
to effect the transfer of the enforce
ment activities of the Bureau Of Prohi-
hition to the Department of Justice.
The duties, powers and functions inn
posed upon the Treasury by the act OF
November %, 1921. creating the Bureau
of Prohibition, with respect to prohi-
bition enforcement are transferred and
imposed upon the Attorney General
CeIIer Proposes Amendment.
Meanwhile the friends and foes of
prohibition brought forth additional
material for injection into the heated
controversy over this matter, which has
been IN progress sine before Christmas.
The dispute over medicinal liquor was
revived by Representative Celler, Demo-
crat, of New York, who today proposed
an amendment to the prohibition law
to permit physicians to prescribe wines
and liquors in such quantities as they
NAV deem proper.
Doctors, being of an honored pro-
fession, should be trusted not to abuse
their privileges the New Yorker said
in a statement. ''They may prescribe
narcotics and opiates; they have power,
with the knife and scalpel, to cut into
the human anatomy. Yet prohibition
makes a mockery of this honored pro-
fession. Doctors may not prescribe
more than half a pint Of medicinal
whisky nor more than one pint of wine
within any period of 10 days.
The doctor may prescribe strych-
nine, balladonna or any other DEATH
dealing drug without limit. He may
perform the major operation of Sitting
q citizens gizzard, yet prohibition says
that in dispensing wines and liquors,
which are well recognized as proper
medical agents, the doctor shall be
thus circumscribed. It Is like telling
a soldier that he may shoot to kill, but
that under no circumstances shall he
use a putty blower"
w. c. T. U. Issues Message.
Prior to Representative Celler's pro-
posal, the Woman'S Christian Temper
ance Union, through its president, Mrs.
Ella Boole, sent out message to State
presidents acclaiming greater strength
in the prohibition movement than ever
before" and calling for support against
the 'anarchistic suggestions" in the
wet campaign.
At the same time Mrs. Louise Gross,
chairman Of the Women's Moderation
Idaho for his opinion of the rum
treaties negotiated with dozen or
more foreign governments"
Mrs. Boole in her message to State
presidents supported the Hoover adj
ministration and said the only sue
cess wet organizations have had is to
make safer certain areas for bootleg
gers"
Federal enforcement is better today
than ever" she said THE neets Of
rum ships have gone. The well f.
nanced syndicates of criminals who di-
verted industrial alcohol are being
broken up Illicit liquor making Is be-
ing transformed from large to small
units, and these will disappear through
q campaign of education.
But meantime, State and local en-
forcement must be strengthened. Too
much civic apathy is attached to local
enforcement The remedy for that, as
has always been the case, is an awak-
ened interest on the part Of voters to
elect better State and city governments.
State enforcement codes in the main
are stronger than the national prohibit
ton act"
Praises Administration.
Underneath the noise the Hoover
administration, dry and determined to
carry out enforcement of the eighteenth
amendment, is moving ahead effective
ly,' she said. THE Presidents commits
sion on law observance and law en-
forcement will remove much of the legal
rubbish which has interfered with law
enforcement Court congestion will be
relieved; criminals will have less chance
of escape through delay and technical
ity.
THE dry program is a constructive
move against law breakers"
The Women's Moderation Union ask
ed Senator Borah particularly for his
opinion as to the legality Of the rum
treaties" which, they contend, permit
under certain conditions the transporta-
ton, importation and expectation OF in
toXicating liquors on sh1pboard.
After quoting several excerpts from
decisions of the Supreme Court, Mrs.
Gross in her letter said:
These expressions Of the court would
seem to make II clear that the eight
zenith amendment expressly forbidS ana
prohibits the importation, expectation
and transportation of intoxicating
liquor. It seems to be fact that large
quantities of intoxicating liquor have
been imported into the United States
at various seaboard ports and delivered
to foreign embassies, that the repre-
sentatives in these embassies might use
them for beverage purposes.
May we ask, therefore, Senator, is
not the Federal Government itself vio-
lating the law through these foreign
liquor treaties?
lis it not a fact that the treaty
making power does not authorize the
making or ai.J- treaty which would
ton or transportation of into Heating
liquor within the territory of the United
States, because such is expressly pro-
hibited and forbidden by the eighteenth
amendment?
IN a New York newspaper of Janu-
airy ~, it stated that you intend %
bring up in the Senate the entire
matter of enforcement, and in this con-
nection may we ask whether you are
willing TO have the eighteenth amend
ment and the statutory enforcement
acts passed for the purpose of enforcing
1t applied to certain people under GER
tain conditions and not to other people
.;nder other conditions? May the Presi-