Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-30

Out Of the babel which has arisen as
to the value of the Wickersham report
one predominant opinion may be heard.
That is that the document reflects the
uncertainty of the public attitude to-
ward a remedy for conditions. There
are vigorous criticisms as to the made
quacy of the statements, as we'll as
tributes to the courage of the Wicker
sham body for frankly admitting that
there is no present solution for the
problem. The conditional plan to give
Congress authority to legislate receives
substantial approval. Inconsistency be-
tween the general report and individual
statements from the commissioners is
emphasized.
IF the report does nothing else. it at
least should serve to remind fanatics in
both camps that theirs are not the only
opinions which can be held in high
conscience and good faith" declares the
Atlanta Journal. The Omaha World
Herald sees in the report evidence that
the members of the commission have
been courageous and open-minded in
their inquiry and intellectually honest
and frank in their findings" The
Charleston wv. Va) Daily Mail
would grant to each member of the
commission, divergent as are their in
dividual opinions, respect for honest
after painstaking and careful research"
"Of course. the commission has not
solved the prohibition problem says
the Worcester Telegram. 1T would have
required IL magicians to solve it, and
IL human beings, though endowed with
unusual ability, as the members of the
commission are, had no chance from the
outset" The Telegram believes that Mr..
Wickersham and his colleagues have
hot 1H of
r =
Particular interest" is expressed by
the Morgantown Dominion-NewS in
the plan for modification of the pro-
hibition amendment proposed by Henry
w. Anderson and recommended for con-
sideration by Law Enforcement Com
missionerS Kenyon, Loesch, Macintosh,
Mccormick and Pound" This is stated
to be modelled after the Swedish system,
giving power to Congress Ito regulate or
prohibit" That paper concludes that
lat first blush the plan seems to pos
seSs much merit" The st. Paul Pioneer
Press gives high value" to the point
that ANY change should leave Congress
with flexible powers to handle liquor"
The Akron Beacon journal calls it the
one redeeming feature" The Milwaukee
Journal points out that 40 of the IL
members agree on how the revision
should be made-if the amendment is
to be revised-giving power to Con-
greSs."
The idea of congressional power APP
peals to the San Francisco Chronicle as
sound" and it is Endorsed by the Fort
Wayne News-Sentinel. The Louisville
Courier journal comments: ut would
throw the whole question of prohibition
into Congress, leaving the people to de-
eide, through contests between the vets
and dryS, perhaps in every congress
sional campaign, whether liquor is to
be prohibited or to be merely regulated.
This really is the most significant fea
ture of the report"
The Wilmington Delmarvia Star is
convinced that whether the amend
ment is to be modified or repealed, it
appears essential that the RESPONSE
bility for dealing with the revolving
criminal by-products of prohibition be
placed upon the States" The Ann
Arbor Daily News argues: States
rights are not likely to be the answer to
the question. And total abandonment of
prohibition is not desired by the public.
Any change must be one calculated to
dispense with the evils of the Volstead
law while retaining the virtues" The
South Bend Tribune maintains that
"the Anderson plan, like all modif1ca-
ton programs that have been offered
thus far, contains no recognizable rem
edy for the current evils"
**
Condemnation of the report Games
from various papers. The Birmingham
News states that lin view of conflicting
individual opinions it is of little real
WORTH" Disappointment is voiced byl