Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-24

Statements by Chairman Wicker
sham of the Presidents Law Enforce
ment Commission, expressing surprise
at criticisms aimed at the report OF
the commission, have been met by
charges Of inconsistency. It Is asserted
in these statements that the expressed
views of individual members of the
commission are inconsistent with the
general conclusions. Those who up
mold the position Of Chairman Wicker
sham urge a broader basis for Judg-
ment Of the work Of this Government
body.
Pittsburgh PoSt-Gazette, admits that
he is puzzled. His bewilderment, how
ever, is not due to the now famous
report itself, but over the general be-
wilderment that 1t caused. He forgets
that to the author OF q riddle the
answer seems easy. The chairman now
explains that the findings were damp
The individual statements Of the COM
mission members were so construed oy
virtually every one who took the trout
BILE to read them, but Mr.. Wickersham
should read over the finding and recon-
mendations of the commission as a
whole and point out Just how they can
be reconciled with the balance OF the
report"
by no aIRuluSIlb GIldb nc CoA1 ~
vance," declares the Birmingham News,
"can Mr.. Wickersham dispose Of the
criticism that the report Is confusing.
Curiously enough, he seems TO take a
political view of the whole thing, which
tends to confirm the suspicion in many
quarters that the report was made Tor
political purposes. The entire country
has been puzzled by the report. Now
Mr.. Wickersham processes to be puzzled
at its reception. So now we're all
puzzled"
Quoting the words of the chairman,
81 cannot but think that it will be
misfortune If. in the development OF our
political conditions, the only reward OF
such efforts should come to be mis-
understanding, Misrepresentation and
abuse" the Buffalo Evening News COM
ments: How can q person avoid
Misunderstanding when, after studying
the report largely setting forth the great
evils of prohibition, and reading the
expressions of a majority Of the COM
mission, declaring the experiment
failure, he comes face to face with the
conclusion that nothing should be
done to change the order OF things.
The American people are not likely to
accept such a conclusion. They are
disposed to come to grips with the is
sue, which, since the repeal Of the
eighteenth amendment is next to i'm
possible, must be revision
The South Bend Tribune suspects
that 1.-The -prohibitionists displeas-
ure evidently grows out of the fact
that the commission die not declare
prohibition a total loss and recon-
mend abandonment Of it.. Those who
are displeased on that ground are weak
ening the prohibition cause. Their
attitude proves that ti-prohibitionis
can be fanatics. The report, as Chair
man Wickersham reminded the public
the other day, is plainly anti-saloon.
As most -prohibitionists never over
look an opportunity to denounce the
old saloon, IL ought to be easy for them
to find virtue in the report"
could anything better reveal the
extent and blighting effect of the pro-
htbition ulcer to the National brain?"
asks the Detroit Free Press than the
manner in which the task of the Wick
ersham Commission has been reduced
in the public mind to that of enumer-
ating the blind pigs that have sprung
from the prohibition amendment"
The Free Press feels that 1.-The ridiculc
Congress and the people have heaped
on this inveStigational body is sympto-
matte of that state of mind which led
Mr.. Hoover to remark upon the posi-
bility that respect for the law is fading
from the sensibilities Of our people.