The Washington times., 1931-10-13
5 WET, z DRY, ,
5 NEUTRAL IN
CABINET
Mellon and Brown, Both Foes
of Prohibition, Held Most
Powerful of Hoover'S Aides
Rx ROBERT S. ALLEN

P0WerIul OF hoover 5 AIueS
By ROBERT S. ALLEN
All this talk about Mr.. Hoover
coming out for beer-and no one
In washington really believes he
will-has turned attention upon
the alcoholic content of his Cabi-
net.
The fact is that his Cabinet is
wet by five to two majority, that
Is. wet to the extent of personally
disapproving the present expert
ment, with three not definitely
placed.
The lineup is as follows:
VETS. Mellon, Brown, Adams,
Lamont and DOak.
Drys, Wilbur, Hyde.
Unknown, Stimson, Hurley, Nit
chell.
It will be seen that the most
l,owerful members of his Cabinet,
Mellon and Brown, are among
the vets. Postmaster General
Brown is particularly the most
Potent of the Cabinet.
Brown, the Hard-BOiled
He is the political manipulation
and strategist of the Hoover Ad-
n1inistration. In his hands rest
the Presidents denomination tao
tics.
Brown is a frankly nard-boiled
politician. This used to shock
frr. Hoover's liberal supporters
when he first went into office,
tut it doesn't any more.
Mr.. Brown believes that politics
r. politics and he has no hest
,ncy or qualmS about openly
Hing upon pOStmasters, high
and low, to do their bit to carry
on the Hoover regime. At a re-
cent meeting of pOstOffice en-
rloyes he calmly said as much
and every day in running his de-
rlrtment he stresses the same
lea.
He is a strong anti-prohibitionist,
AID, as his. friends declare, has re-
r-atedly urged the President to
ccme out for beer. So far he has
r7t succeeded, and he is not
I';ely to. .
Mr.. Hoover is firmly convinced
t. at there is still one more victory
in the dry side.
Mellon, Adams Quiet Men
Mr.. Mellon carefully suppresses
h personal views about the
i ue, but any dry will tell you
Wv suspect the prohibitionists
nsider him. He once had a
Ia"ge interest in the famous Over,
hclt distillery.
Secretary of the Navy Adams,
lie Mr.. Mellon, keeps his wet
y,wS to himself. Being q mem
ber of a dry administration he
d. ems that best. If he didn't Mr..
FoOver would promptly see that
H. did.
But to his Massachusetts, and
s. a-faring friends he is known
v t, with distinctly pronounced
nions about the idiocies and
f, >ilities of prohibition.
Secretary of Commerce Lamont
WIS a member of an antl-dry
c-ganization when he Joined the
{ binet. He resigned before he
t. ok office, but he said frankly
til IN, and has repeated since, that
he did so not because Of any
c. ange in views, but because Of po.
l;'ical reasons. He is a big bust
IS man and before becoming a
mber of the Hoover govern
n mt vigorously opposed prohibi'
IT, n.
Wilbur, Hyde Dry
Secretary of Labor Doak lines
up with the rest of organized
ls'>or in opposition to the Eight
ee,lth Amendment. But like all
tk2 others he is forsaking per-
SO lal opinion to hold his office.
Secretary of the Interior viii.
F. and Secretary of Agriculture
L de are both dryS. The first is
lOctOr who is convinced that it
~ great virtues, and the latter
C. mes from Missouri, where he
r de a State political career as
a dry crusader.
Secretaries Stimson, Hurley and
\ -tchell are unknown quantities
ON the question. Attorney Gen
ell Mitchell because his depart
n" 2nt takes in the reorganized
p~1hibition enforcement bureau
h 5 been grimly tight-lipped about
h views.
Hurley comes from Oklahoma
v ich has voted dry. AS Secre
t. " of State, Mr.. Stimson only
C mes into the prohibition con
t. >versy when some foreign gov
e"ument protests the cannonad
ing of one of it's vessels at sea BY
orr rum-chasing Coast Guard.