Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-20
CAPITOL LEADERS
SEE NO CHANCE TO
PASS BEER BILL
Hold 8 Per Cent Measure
Hopeless Even if Urged
by President.
HOOVER INCLINATION
TO CHANGE is DENIED
&. o. P. Heads Insist Chief Execu-
tive Would Oppose Rather Than i.
Support Modification.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

By G. GOULD LINCOLN.
Extreme doubt that the incoming
Congress would put through bill legal
king per cent beer, even II it were
recommended by President Hoover, was
expressed by members of Congress in
Washington last night, although there
were exceptions to this general view OF
khe situation.
Furthermore, Republican leaders here
declared emphatically that President
Hoover would make no such recommen-
dalton, despite the furora' created by
the admission that one Of the Presi-
dents secretaries, Walter Newton, had
asked the Census Bureau for data on
labor employed in the breweries before
and after prohibition.
Some of these Republicans went SO
far as to insist the President would take
q strong position against the proposal
to permit the manufacture and sale OF
beer, even IL limited to per cent al
coholic content.
Leaders See No Chance.
One Of the foremost leaders Of the
c. O. p. declared emphatically the
President had not the slightest inten-
ton Of recommending to Congress q
change In the Volstead act which would
permit the manufacture of per cent
beer. This leader, who declined to per-
NIT himself to be quoted, although will
ing to express his opinions privately
also took the position that neither
House of Congress would put through
q 8 per cent beer bill. He said he
had been approached recently by rep
reSentatiyes of the brewing interests,
who sought to enlist his support OF the
per cent beer proposal.
From q political point of view" he
continued, 'if President Hoover should
undertake to recommend the law De
amended to permit per cent beer. II
would mean the loss Of any chance OF
his reelection"
Senator Brookhart Of Iowa, one of
the dEyeEt Of the dry and naturally to
be expected to oppose the beer sug-
Eestaon, said:
ssThis Is Just some more booze bunk.
A bin TO legalize per cent beer could
pass neither house Of Congress.
BrOokhart Gives Views.
The Iowa senator, q strong opponent
of the Hoover administration, insisted
a recommendation by the President Tor
3 per cent beer would be tantamount TO
political suicide on the part OF the Cmef
Executive.
'sWe had an object lesson in Illinois
of what may be expected to happen TO
candidates for Office who undertake 70
carry beer on one shoulder and water
on the other" said Senator Brookhart,
referrfnR TO the defeat Of Mrs. Ruth
Hanna Mccormick In the Senatorial
race last year. Mrs. Mccormick an
nounced that she would vote IN Con-
Rress in accordance with the result OF
the referendum on prohibition in her
State She offended many OF the drys
in Illinois and an independent dry Re
publican woman candidate went into
the race against her.
aAnotheT instance of what happens
to Republican drys who become vets,
continued Senator Brookhart. hap
uened In New York when Tuttle, the
party nominee for Governor, undertook
To rIin on a wet platform" Tuttle lost
+ 10 Gov. Roosevelt by about 100000 votes
Hull Says Bin Hopeless.
Senator Cordell Hull, Democrat, Of
Tennessee, also took the view that 9
beer bill could not be put through Con-
uress even II recommended by the
Chief Executive. Mr.. Hull Is a dry
but he believes that the prohibition
ixylie q not one that properly belongs
in national politics. He hopes to have
the Democrats in the next national
campaign ignore prohibition and make
their fight for victory on economic Is
sues.
some Of those who are urging that
beer be manufactured lose sight of the
fact that the money might be expended
for beer next Winter, If beer were per.
mitted by law, is needed for food anc
clothes and shelter" said Senator Hull
On the beer side Of the fence, how.
ever, Representative Dyer, Republican
of Missouri who has fought year ir
and year out for revision of the dr.
laws to permit the manufacture anc
sale Of 2.75 per cent beer, declared thai
as soon as Congress meets he will rein
troduce his bill. He insisted that unleS.
such bill is passed and signed by the
President, the beer question will be thu
big issue In Missouri next year and indi
Gated that he would make race fol
the Senate on beer platform.
Wheeler for Beer.
Senator Burton K. Wheeler, Demo
crat, Of Montana, who has in the pas
urged some revision Of the DIR.
laws, said he would vote for a bill Il
permit 3 per cent II it were recon-
mended by President Hoover to Con
gress. While he said he thought Con
RreSs would adopt such a recommen
dalton, he declined to predict fatly tina
beer blu would pass, since he was no
sufficiently familiar with the stand o
the members Of both houses on tn
liquor question.
The lineup Of the last Congress Of
the wet and dry question never put tn
vets in the House as high as 100 on
of the total membership Of 435. Il
the Senate, the proportion Of vets wa
even smaller. While the vets mad
some gains in the last congressional
elections, they did not change the per
centages in the two Houses on the pro
3 hibition question to any marked extent.
Furthermore, the proposal to raise tn
alcoholic content Of beverages permitte
10 be sold under the law would, it
said, Immediately bring the charge O
nuilihcation. Members of Congress
among them moderate drys, who nigh
be willing to vote for resubmissiol
Of the eighte enth amendment to vot
OF the people, would oppose d change II
the Volstead act which would peTmi
the manufacture and sale Of beer.
vote for resubmission on their par
might not bll considered q wet vote, 70
they would retain the right PERSONAL
to vote against repeal Of the prohibitio
amendment. But vote for beer woul
be wet vote.
Economic Grounds Advanced.
The Proponents OF the proposal {
permit the manufacture of 3 per cen
beer are baglng their argument on eco
nOnaic grounds as well as on the RICH