Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-05
AIM Of CRUSADERS
IS STATE CONTROL
National Head of Wet Group
Says Repeal Advocates
Would Oppose Saloon.

Repeal Of the eighteenth amend
ment and turning over to the States
control of the liquor traffic was an
nounced today as the goal Of the Cru
saders, anti prohibition organization Of
young men. in a speech by Julian Cod
man, national commander Of the or
ganization, at a luncheon meeting Of
the Washington Crusaders today in the
Hay Adams House.
More than 10 years Of trial, Goldman
declared, has shown that national pro-
hibition Is not wanted and cannot be
enforced. This is illustrated, he said
by the repeal by several States OF laws
passed in the earlier days OF prohibit
ton to assist in the enforcement of the
national law; by the failure OF q ma
jority of States to appropriate sufficient
funds for enforcement, and by 1.-The ad-
nitted fact that Intoxicating liquor can
be purchased in all States by any per
son who has the price"
Revolt Held Increasing.
The popular revolt against prohibit
ton, Goldman said. is becoming more
vigorous year by year. This fact, he
said. is demonstrated by the findings
dence of the general elections OF last
wear and polls on the subject.
THE growth Of the repeal senti-
ment has been so great and so rapid"
said the head of the Crusaders, that
most people today are convinced that
national prohibition is doomed, and
that the only question Is what shall be
substituted for it,"
Aside from supporters OF the eight
zenith amendment on moral and re-
ligious grounds, "a relatively small and
constantly diminishing group" Goldman
said, there are two general schools OF
thought on prohibition. The first Is
composed of those who believe that the
amendment should be repealed as in
consistent with Anglo-Saxon tradition
and the principles Of the forefatherS Of
the Nation, who left to each State the
control of matters affecting its own cit
liens in the intimate affairs of their
daily lives. The second school. he ex-
planned, comprises those who are aware
of the failure of national prohibition,
but who fear the return Of the saloon.
Denies Saloon Would Return.
Goldman denied vigorously that re-
peal of the amendment would result IN
return of the saloon.
In the days before the passage Of
the eighteenth amendment" Goldman
said, many more than so per cent of
the licensed saloons, and especially
those of the lower type, were either
owned or controlled by the brewing in
terestS and used as an outlet for their
products.
I'm many cases the brewers actually
owned the premises, paid for the
licenses and secured themselves by a
chattel mortgage on the furniture and
fixtures.
This whole system has been done
away with by IL years of prohibition.
The capital involved has either been
lost or has been transferred to other
gainful ends. To reestablish this syS-
tenn even under the most favorable con-
ditionS would take years and a great
deal of capital"
Vets Would Oppose Saloon.
Goldman added that the countrys
"drys" would be Joined by "the of1cial
wet organizations" in opposing return
of the saloon.
In announcing their stand for repeal,
the crusaders declared their belief that
this would be achieved within the next
few years"
The organization recommended that
the Governor of each State ask authori-
ty from his Legislature to appoint a
special commission to study liquor reg
ulation systems and to report las to
what would be in their opinion the best
form of regulation or prohibition to be
established by each State" In event OF
repeal.