The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-09-15
DAILY NEWS LETTER
BY THOMAS U. STOKES

United Press Staff Correspondent)
 Washington, (UP)-Federa1 Pro- hibition Director Amos w. w. Woodcock is attracting quite good deal of attention by his efforts to build up dry enforcement force tha tis efficient and strictly legal and above board in its tactics.
 Woodcock is entering his second year as dry enforcement general issimo and in that time he has instituted a series of reforms that do not appear so deep and far reaching in isolated cases as when the whole change of approach and attitude is analysed.
 To mention only a few to show this revised system, there are his strict orders against indiscrimin- ate shooting by dry agents; his ban on the use of women as "de- coys," or blinds" in making pro- hibition cases; his elimination as far as, possible of the use of "in- formers" These were practices that brought down the ire of some members of congress repeatedly in previous prohibition adminis- trations.
 Wfre-Tapping Banned
 The government also has for bidden the use of "wire-tapping' in getting prohibition evidence though this was approved by the supreme court in one of it's i've to-four decisions-except where it is considered the only means of gettirly evidence. And in those exceptional cases, Woodcock and ar&x nx>k ~k prove it beforehand.
 In forbidding the use of women in prohibition enforcement, Wood cock went further than to abol- ish their use as decoys, and for bade the practice whereby dry agents took them along to night clubs in order to gain admission to such places. This practice was used considerably in New York and other big cities.
 Woodcock tries to keep a close watch on his agents and when he he finds one who is inefficient, or whose tactics he regards as .un- wise, he dismisses him, quickly. Woodcock has been a soldier and his attitude, in some respects, is that of the soldier. He insists up- on discipline and yet he tempers hs rigid rule with a sort of kind- Illness and tolerance.
 Top Sergeant
 The dry director was a lieuten- ant colonel, but there is about big manner more of the hardboiled top sergeant-the top sergeant who insists on strict obedience, but who has a sort of fatherly attitude in seeing that his men are we'll taken care of.
 Woodcock brought one of his offending dry agents all the way to Washington recently to go over the young dry enforcer's case. The agent, Ralph Dell, who works at Buffalo, had used a young woman as a decoy to purchase liquor. Dells offense was before the general or- der forbidding such practice had been issued. The dry agent had become involved in the tolls of local law at Buffalo on charges of con- tributing to the delinquency of a minor because the young woman had imbibed too much of the sam- pies and was arrested for being drunk
 Woodcock put him on the mat for about two hours, and when the young man emerged he looked as if he had been through the mill. The dry director repri- manded him severely. But he did not dismiss him becaus Dell, he said. had used a practice generally countenanced by dry administra- tors up to that time, and ap- parently thought what he did was all right.
 The dry enforcement chief has dismissed numerous agents, and with promptness and dispatch. But he always makes a very care- full investigation before acting, getting all the facts to SC that justice is done.