Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-30
DRY LAW IS SEEN
ENFORCED. 0 !! { | D B | I T.

Hr the Assoniaffed press.

.. Z. T = E
BY the Associated Press
Looking back over his first year as
chief enforcihka officer OF the dry laws
in the United States, Amos w. w.
woodcock believes the course of en-
forcement now is definitely ".on the
right track = Il. 60. -, -.
1t was a. months ago tomorrow that
the soft-spoksn Marylander, part SOL
der, part lawyer. left his post as
United States. attorney in Baltimore
at President A5oover's request to as
sumo the nosition Of Federal dry chief
Innoeent fIrritated Less. III.
Today Woodcock holds that prohibit
ton is being better enforced man at
any time in its history-enforced with
less irritation to the innocent"
He contends that STEADY pressure"
against the higher-ups and big COM
mercial violators OF the Volstead law
can, in time, largely put out of sight
this type Of tFef1c.
He assertsttat the 4picayuIiiSh, non-
commerciai vfolator"- should not mate
rally concern Federal agents, but
should be touched by education.
Agents Nearly Ideal.
He holds that the agents now in the
field are approaching his ideal OF be-
coming the best trained force OF in
vestigators in the world"
He has not altered his view of year
ago. that prohibition should be re-
moved from the front pages Of the
newspapers"
The slim, partly bald man, who holds
the reinse of prohibition enforcement,
has made law his vocation and soldier
ing his avocation. His speech today Is
interlarded with military terms. He
has carried over many Of the ideas OF
his Army days into his present task.
Esta blished Merit SYSTEM
Woodcock's most recent circular to
his IL administrators spoke OF 6tab-
fishing a bureau to study enemy OPP
erations," and not long since he put
into effect what he termed an Army
merit system. under which agents are
graded for advancement on per-
centage basis of knowledge. efficiency,
length of service and heroic perform
Rnce.
In fact. there have been times when
the Baltimore attorney interchanged
vocation and avocation. He scarcely
had taken the oath of his new ONCE
last July when he played hockey" from
the Capital for two-week tour OF duty
at Fort Meade as a lieutenant colonel
In the Reserve Corps.
He served with the National Guard
along the Mexican border in 1915, and
with the expeditionary force in France
rose from captain to lieutenant colonel,
with a citation for meritorious conduct
in the front lines. :,
This same Col Woodcock, however
reads Greek in the original; is col
lector of first editions of modern Eng
lish drama. Seldom reading novels. he
delights IN the better autobiographies
and enjoys poetry. "A bachelor. he
sometimes Is drawn by the congeniAl1ty
of the National Press Club lounge.
One man has called him "a hard
boiled idealist.'
Sees for Himself.
Ore thing has been characteristic OF
his first year as prohibition admins
trator-a desire to see things for him.
self and come in contact with both the
privates and officers of his army" In
the past II months he has toured each
of the II prohibition districts from
New England to New Orleans. twice to
the West Coast and on to Honolulu.
from an inspection trip through the
South and shortly he plans to journey
to Porto Rico
1t Is no secret in official Washington
that the lawyer-colCnel 6esires even
tually to become a Federal judge. But
right now Attorney General Mitchell
says he is too valuable q man" to be
spared from his present job.