The Daily Alaska empire., 1931-01-21
CHANGE IS DEMANDED.

While the form in which the Wickersham AaV Enforcement Commission reported on Prohibition J likely to prove confusing to the country, the out standing feature, which is the recommendation 1o change undoubtedly reflects the majority senti ment of the country. Neither the Drys nor the Wet will be wholly pleased with the tenor of this long awaited document, that in the end took the form of 12 papers instead of merely Possibly hat the Commissions personnel numbered eleven times eleven instead of merely eleven, there would have been 121 individual reports to explain why and wherefor each Commissioner took this that posi- ton.
 There are two striking facts demonstrated by ohe Commissions findngs-one, the country desires change from Constitutional Prohibition and, two so far common method of change can be agreed upon by those out of sympathy with the present system Two members, Newton D. Baker and Monte M Lemann favored outright repeal, and four others recommended modification. In other words six out of the eleven Commissioners are opposed to the present system. To these might well be added two more who while favoring present continuation of Prohibition as is, would submit the whole ques- tion to the people by some form of referendum. IT other words, they nothing objectionable to re- peal or modification, but they would first want tc be so instructed by the people This leaves three Commissioners who welded to the Egh- teenth Amendment that they believe further time is necessary in order to thoroughly test it.
 So much for the future As to the present, the Commission fairly well agreed that enforce ment of Prohibition is notable for it's absence After eleven years of the Eighteenth Amendment about the only changes to distinguish the Dry mill lenium from the Wet that the licensed saloon has been replaced by graft-subsdized speakeasy the quality of liquor has been sadly lowered and organ
 
 controlled by organized society.
 The Commission took official note of the con- ditions-that there is widespread nonobservance of the law and a lack of adequate enforcement, and a regime of corruption has grown up that is the scandal of the country and makes the United States the object of rdicule in the eyes of the world. It comments that enforcement has been impaired be- of the larger cities had refused to permit enforcement of the law. This need not have oc- casioned any astonishment to the investigators In it's preliminary report made many months ago, the Commission pointed out that the problem of en- forcement could not be separated from the large question of the views and habits of the American people with respect to private judgment as to the statutes and regulations affecting their conduct !" Perhaps these views and habits have been taken into consideration by those members who suf- ficiently bold to recommend repeal modification.
 The recommendation for increased personnel in enforcement forces is not strictly consistent with the findings of corruption. If it is not possible to prevent grating in the present personnel its ex- pansion will furnish greater opportunities for graft CTS to work their way into the ranks and carry on their nefarious operations To double the force would likely result in trebing the corruption
 Regardless of the restrictions that hedge in the appointments to this body of Government agents Inc of thairc shown leads to corruption. The opportunities for personal enrichment great, the rewards so high compared to the salaries that the Gov rnnent afford to pay. that even the higher class" operatives that employed fall more than occasionally That is no more than human nature Even if angelic agents were called into the ranks of the Prohibition Enforcement Unit the slimy monster upon which they are attendant would in no time at all splatter their bright wings with all Of the filth that has it's abiding place in cor Yuption.
 The list of the benefits of Prohibition as seen by the Commission is itself highly controversial Tn the past decade, to be sure these things have come about in the United States. But that was the prosperity era in the United States so widely heralded throughout the world The golden age which made this country the exposure of the rest of the universe Its foundation was highly me chanized industry, the outgrowth of an industry intensely organized to meet wartime demands ot a world stripped largely of its most productive workers, which, with its producing units trans formed into factories for war supplies was forced to look to this country for manufactured goods a: well as raw materials. With the chaining of the martial gods. the industry of this nation, far ir the. van of other industrial countries. turned its