The Washington times., 1931-01-23
DRYS APPROVE
ADDITION Of
130 AGENTS
Wire Tapping and Setting Up
of Federal Speak-Easies
Receive Support in House

Continued From Page y
lection of the only method of re-
vision proposed by the Wicker
sham Commission.
The bone-drys in the party are
equally ir1sistent that he shan't
issue such a statement. They de-
mand that he stand four-square
on his message and fight it out
In 1882 on that line.
Some of Mr.. Hoover's closest
political advisers in the last "a
hours have assured newspaper
correspondents privately and earn
estly that his message to Con-
gress was "misinterpreted."
Earlier Words Recalled
Asked bluntly if they spoke for
the President in the matter, they
admitted they did not, but merely
gave it as their own estimate of
his state Of mind. It was quite
evident, however, that those
around the President wished the
impression to go out to the coun-
try that the President is not as
dry as his message has made
him. Similar efforts were made
In 1928 after Mr.. Hoover's speech
accepting the Republican nomina-
ton, in which he declared:
Il do not favor repeal Of the
Eighteenth h amendment. 1
stand for the efficient enforce
ment Of the laws enacted
hereunder. Any notifications
Of the enforcement act to per-
NIT that which, the conStitu-
tiOn forbids is notification"
Senator Fess Of Ohio, who oc.
cupies the dual role of being the
Antisaloon League spokesman on
the floor Of the Senate and chair
man Of the Republican national
committee, has assumed the lead
in the effort to conyince news
paper correspondents that Mr..
Hoover really has IAN open mind"
on the question Of prohibition re-
form.
Fess Lands Message
On Wednesday, Senator Fess
called at the White House and
congratulated the President on his
speech. Standing on the White
House steps later. he gave it as his
opinion that Mr.. Hoover, in his
message, had charted his prohsbi-
ton course for 1882 and would
stand for reelection as a 100 per
cent dry. The Senator was Snlil-
ing and confident.
Later that day, after editorial
digests from all parts of the coun-
try had been scanned, revealing
that the country as a whole in
terpreted the message as bone
dry in content and intent, there
was a Cabinet council at the
White House. Present were Sec
retary Of War Hurley, Postmaster
General Brown and Secretary Of
the Interior Wilbur, the trio Of
his Cabinet upon which Mr..
Hoover leans most heavily for
political guidance.
After this conference the word
began to circulate around that
the Presidents message had been
'miSinterpreted." None of the
sponsors Of the word wanted to be
publicly quoted as saying that it
had been misinterpreted, but they
were inSiStent that it had been.
Fess Alters Views
And today, Senator Fess, who
on Wednesday morning was so
confident that Mr.. Hoover had
chalked out his prohibition course
for 1882, and who said "of course
Mr.. Hoover would run as a dry"
apparently has suffered a change
Of heart. Senator Fess was as
busily assuring inquirers today
that Mr.. Hoover has an "open
mind" as he was on Wednesday
assuring them that Mr.. Hoover
had pitched his tent and would
stand by it.
Meanwhile, the White House
preserved complete silence so far
as any official comment is con.
cerned.
The troubled situation was not
helped much by the visit to
Washington of a delegation of
New York Republicans, headed
by w. Kingsland Macy, the new
State chairman, who let the
President know that New York is
wet, and that if he persists in
the stand taken there is grave
doubt as to whether he can carry
the State in 1882.
This visit, and the flood Of
kilograms, which has poured into
the White House since Tuesday,
have combined to increase the
uneasy feeling Of the party lieu
tenants.
In some Administration sources
today the suggestion was put out
that Mr.. Hoover might propose
a constitutional referendum on
prohibition for 1892. The Demo
Gratis, meanwhile, are enjoying it
all hugely.
Dry Foes Beaten
Prohibition foes, though beaten
in the Senate and House yesterday
in the first parliamentary clash
over the report, were determined
to learn whether Mr.. Hoover in
fluenced the commission to
change a wet recommendation
into an endorsement of the
Amendment. They
suffered defeat when the Senate
voted a $543,0 900 appropriation to
employ 130 more dry agents in &C.