Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-07
CANNON ASSA|LS
WET WITNESSES
Declares They Proved Need
for Education and Stricter
Dry Enforcement.

VETS appearing before the House
judiciary committee made out no con-
Vincing case for the repeal of the pro-
hibitio law" Bishop James Cannon, jr.,
declared last night in statement
cabled from London to the Board OF
Temperance and Social Service of the
Methodist Episcopal Church South.
Summarizing testimony given in the
hearings, Bishop Cannon said: They
did make out case for more educa-
ton and stricter enforcement.
Cites Vast Improvement.
mo prohibitionist claims that the
prohibition law is fully enforced or
that conditions cannot be greatly i'm
proved" he said, "but it is confidently
asserted that political, industrial. eco
r1omic, domestic and general social con-
ditions of the great masses OF the peo-
pie have vastly improved under proh1-
bitton. as compared with the old saloon
days.
"The case for admittedly imperfect
observance and enforcement is to press
the campaign of education as TO the
evils of alcoholism and the Dement'S OF
prohibition and the great need for 1t
in our complex social life, and at the
same time to call upon the Government
may be necessary to secure effective
enforcement. -
IAN admit that return to pre-prohi-
bition conditions is Impossible. Inc
vets insist that the present bootleg
regime in certain sections Is tntolerable.
Why not try education and strict en-
forcement and see what results will fol-
lowe"
Press reports of the House judiciary
committee hearing, he said, indicate:
First. The wet chairman made an
amazingly unjudicial opening state
ment. The hearing was not expected To
result in favorable action on proposed
wet legislation, but to furnish an oppor-
tunity to emphasize the wet opposition
which attitude the wet chairman main
tanned throughout the hearings, regard
less of the impartiality demanded OF
chairman.
Charges Witnesses Were Selfish.
Second. witnesses against Fedora
prohibition were almost exclusively
those who have always been advocates
of selfish individualism versus the gen
eral welfare, who fought local and State
prohibition as now they fight Fedora.
prohibition.
Third. With few exceptions they
testified that the conditions prevailing
under the legalized saloon were sc
demoralizing to political, social and eco
nomic life that they are opposed to Its
return.
"Fourth. They declare that the pro-
I1ibition law is not enforced and that
conditions today, with the traffic brand
ed as criminal, are utterly intolerable
and. because of the reign of the boot
logger, they demand the repeal or modl-
fication of the law. They admit that
they have made no effort to stop the
bootleg traffic.
Federal prohibition was set forth and
emphasized by President Atterbury OF
the Pennsylvania Railroad. VINO was
probably the outstanding witness against
prohibition. He read the regulation OF
the Pennsylvania, which prohibits It's
time. whether on or of duty.
'Why is the Pennsylvania prohibition
regulation necessary, and why effective!
Because the safety of freight ano
passengers, the general welfare de-
rnands it and few men are so tanatlcal-
ly wet as to deny that the general
welfare is promoted by the prohloltlon
regulation. But to insure the OBJ
servance of the regulation is admltteoly
necessary for the general WeI1are; .o.
''There must be- he concluded, ar
Intensive process setting forth the evil
effects which inevitably follow from the
use of intoxicants and, therefore, the
wisdom of total abstinence by the nol.
vidual for his own sake, and TINS mus
he accomplished by an act OF society
the State prohibiting the trattlc IN IN,
toxicants for its own protection ano
preservation. Education, legislation ano
enforcement must go along togetner &c
secure the desired results.