Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-30
Prohibition Hearings.

4dc PtOS dLAu COLS OF prOn1D1ClOn are
to be given another airing before a con-
gressional committee. The House judi
ciary committee will hold hearings on
various proposals Of the "wetS," ranging
from modification of the Volstead act
to repeal Of the eighteenth amend
ment. The decision Of the chairman
Of the House committee, Mr.. Graham
Of Pennsylvania, and presumably Of the
committee also, to grant these hear
1ngs to the vets has been hailed far
and wide as great concession to the
wet cause. 1t has even been published
broadcast that these coming hearings
are the first hearings on wet pro-
posa1s to modify the national prohibi-
ton act or to repeal the eighteenth
amendment since the eighteenth
amendment went into effect" How
f1eeting Is fame and how brief is
memoryl On April 5, 1926, a subcon-
nittee Of the Senate judiciary COM
mittee began a series of hearings on
eight bills and four joint resolutions,
all proposing some amendment of the
national prohibition laws It was q
hearing granted in particular to the
proponents Of modification or repeal
Of the dry laws.
FOR days former Senator James A.
Reed Of Missouri. the great inquisitor,
as q member Of the subcommittee,
undertook to lay bare, through the
testimony Of witnesses, wet and dry, the
iniquities Of prohibition. Indeed, these
hearings before the Senate judiciary
subcommittee ran daily for practically
three weeks and two volumes Of testi-
naony were taken and are now part Of
the imperishable record, II any one
cares to examine them. The hearings
were opened, quite naturally, by the
vets. since It was their plea for a hear
ing that had been granted. The Senate
committee had before it officials Of the
Government, including former Prohibi-
ton Gar Gen. Lincoln Andrews; repre-
sentattves Of wet and dry organizations,
college professors, college students,
clergymen and lay citizens. The sub
committee labored nightly. Senator
Reed even set up q stu In the COM
mtttee room. demonstrating how readily
liquor may Be produced.
How little was accomplished by these
hearings, little less than four years
ago, Is demonstrated by the fact that
they have been 50 soon forgotten. The
judiciary committee Of the Senate re-
ported favorsbly none Of the measures
than pending. They included plans for
national referendum on the prohibition
question, for light wines and beer, for
repeal Of the Volstead act, etc. Indeed,
the proposals then up for q hearing
were very similar to those upon which
the House committee Is to have hear
1ngs next week.
It may be expected that the House
committee viii take testimony filling
another two huge volumes. The testi-
mony may be even more extensive.
Quite naturally the committee viii have
to hear both the vets and the drys.
And when the hearing has been COM
pleted. the bills and resolutions calling
for modification or repeal of the dry
laws are likely to be in exactly the same
position as they now hold.
Congressional hearings are an effec-
tive safety-valve for overweight nerves
and feelings. The country Is still intent
upon giving prohibition q chance to be
effective. A program to strengthen the
enforcement Of the laws is already be-
fore Congress, and q start has been
made toward carrying out the program.
The vets Insist that the law can never,
never be enforced. And in consequence
they are demanding repeal and modi-
ncatton. No one can object in the
slightest to full presentation of facts
But it Is possible that the fact that there
Is to be another congressional hearing
on prohibition may be given too much
Importance in the row now going on
over prohibition enforcement.