The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-09-30

Washington, D.. C.-Lots of
 people, judging from inquiries, are
 not sure whether President Hoover
 could restore beer and wine tot the
 country by a mere executive order.
 Of course he can't and only an
 act of congress, could make beer legal. But the wide attention being
 directed at the president in con-
 nection with the beer speculation
 is based on the fact that q strong declaration from him at this time would carry tremendous weight in congress and through the country and might definitely mark the turning point away from prohibi- | ton.
 Neither house of congress will
 pass any beer legislation during the next session unless Hoover de-
 mands it, and he is not expected to do so. Even if the president did come out for beer and urge con gress to restore it there is some room for doubt whether the house and senate would fall over them selves in rush to comply. The point is that White House inter- yention is the only thing that
 might cause legislative action in the near future. G 1 The Volstead act could be modi- fled by a majority vote, but each
 house is still regarded as approxi- mately three-fourths dry. A call TOT beer from Hoover, because Of the presidential influence and the fact
 that beer is now being demanded as an important step toward re- lieving depression, would be likely
 to whitle down the dry .majorities considerably, although one can only guess. as to how many votes 1t would affect. Members of congress
 will vote for beer when they dare and not before.-s
 A mere animation that the
 president would be willing to sign | a three per cent bill probably
 would have little if any effect on
 Capitol Hill. It would be necessary for Hoover, if he espoused the beer
 cause and sought to get anywhere
 with it this winter, to mobilize sem timent through the country to help him and to announce his conver-
 sion in emphatic tones. There is plenty of pro-beer sentiment. but there is also still plenty of anti beer sentiment and no one has yet
 been able to tempt Hoover ito defy
 the latter.
 Thus the likelihood is that all this beer talk as well as all the ef- forts to persuade the president will come to nothing.
 There has been no similar situa- tion in the history, of prohibition. | | nA io bond n G. pect a significance in the persistent beer agitation which has appeared to become gradually stronger. The theory that beer would help bring
 back prosperity has been widely
 adopted and because everyone is
 looking for quick and easy way
 out of the depression it will be
 held and often echoed as long as
 the depression lasts.
 Wet sentiment has become more tangible and even solidified, 1t is
 being demonstrated. The lack of
 that sort of thing has previously
 been one of the most hopeless
 phases of the situation from the
 wet standpoint.
 Now it Is reported that ma- jority of Hoover's own cabinet
 members are sold on the idea of
 three per cent beer and it is known
 that a considerable number of his
 friends and advisers have been try
 ing to make him see their point. It
 is true that many hard-headed re-
 publican politicians have been tell ing him that his best political bet
 is to stay right on the dry side and
 that this view has thus far been taken by Hoover. but never before