Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-25
|DRy LAW ATTITUDE
| OF HOOVER TALKED
ShouSe Statement Believed
to Favor Modification
or Repeal.
Continued From First Page.)

Continued From First Page)
express the hope that In its next ma
tional platform my party may face
this veXed problem with courage and
without equivocation.
THAT a large number of Thought
full people everywhere are seriously dis
satisfied with present conditions there
can be no doubt. The underworld has
built up the Illicit sale of liquor into
the most profitable business which has
ever been allowed to propagate. Allied
with it Is every kind of crime and
racketeering, and until some sweeping
reform is accomplished there seems no
possibility Of q beneficial change In
conditions.
Prohibition Held Political
cit is idle to suggest that prohibition
is not political question. Only
through political action can ITS correc-
ton be had. And until existing pro-
visions are repealed or modified the
contempt for law engendered as the re-
suit Of present methods may be ex-
pected only TO spread. A straighttor-
ward recognition of prevailing condt-
tons and an honest effort 10 correct
them constitute perhaps the foremost
duty of good citizenship that confronts
America today"
It seems clear that if the Democratic
leadership has its way, the party will
espouSe the cause Of prohibition re-
vision or repeal in its next national
platform. and that beyond doubt q
wet" candidate for President viii be
nominated.
It is true that some of the, Southern
Democrats, among them Senators Nor
riSon Of North Carolina and McGill Of
Kansas, are agttating for q conference
Of party leaders which will support q
dry candidate for President next year.
But they are not likely to make great
deal Of Roadway. Older Democratic
Senators from the South are already
deploring a movement that may split
the party. Some of the Democratic
Senators from the South privately adj
NIT that they are prepared to go along
with q wet Democratic nominee for
President next year, and that they do
not see how the nomination Of q wet
can be headed OF.
War Attitude Recalled.
Efforts of some of President Hoover's
friends and advisers to soft-pedal the
dryness of his message to the Congress.
accompanying the Wickersham report,
are sitting well with dry Republicans,
Senator Brookhart, for example. Sen
ator Jones of Washington, chairman Of
the Appropriation Committee, is an
other who takes the position that Mr..
Hoover is dry and will be dry in the
next national campaign.
Senator Bingham, replying to the
question Of Senator Wheeler as to
whether President Hoover favored his
proposal for 4 per cent beer, said he
did not believe the President was in
favor of It.
Senator Copeland of New York, how
ever, declared that when MIR. Hoover
was food administrator during the
World War he made "a very strong
argument to the effect that beer Is not
intoxicating and that there is no reason
why there should be a prohibition Of
the manufacture and sale OF that
article"
"That was my recollection" said
Senator Wheeler, land that Is why
asked the Senator from Connecticut If
the amendment he had offered to this
bill net with the approval Of the
President"
at Is not reasonable to believe that
1t must meet with the Presidents ap-
proval," continued Senator Copeland.
because his scientific conviction, as
food administrator, is that beer Is
harmless product and therefore he GER
taiuly cannot be In opposition to the
amendment proposed by the Senator
from Connecticut"
Newspapers Are Criticized.
mot knowing what his scientific con-
victionS are since he became Presi-
dent. I cannot say" replied Senator
Wheeler.
Senator Wheeler had read to the
Senate a newspaper story represent
ing Secretary Of War Hurley ana wal
ter Newton, secretary to the PreSl-
dent. as having given out statements
to the effect that President Hoover is
not In accord with Senator Brooknart
on the liquor question:
THE newspapers" said Senator
Brookhart, can frame up almost any
kind of a deal, especially If they are
wet newspapers. They always nave on
me. All / can read IN that IL that the
President Is in favor Of any revision
that will make for better enforcement
and I am in favor of that myself. We
might revise the prohibition laws 70
make them stronger IN several par
ticulars and am with the PRESIDENT
on that proposition"
when Senator Wheeler twitted Sen
ator Brookhart with the desire to be
Iieve that President Hoover Is as dry
as the Senator from Iowa, Senator
Tranmen Of Florida interrupted.
1.-THE Senator from Montana says that
the Senator from Iowa wishes to make
the President as dry as he Is, said
TrammeI. ct am just wondering II the
Senator from Montana wants to make
the President as wet as he Is"
During the consideration Of the Howell
bill Senator Walsh of Massachusetts, OBJ
jected strenuously to the third section
which makes it q crime to take a drink
in public in the National Capital He
pointed out that there is no such pro-
vision In the VolStead act.
ANY boy or girl at a foot ball game"
said Senator Walsh, who takes drink
or even a sip may be sent to jail under
this provision for 80 days and fined
500. Any Senator, or any one else,
who takes an innocent drink to protect
health or for mere sociAbility would be
subject to fine and Imprisonment Sem
ators when they go to church tomorrow
should think seriously Of this PROPOSE
ton. It is inconceivable that we should
go so far as to write this provision into
the law"