Evening star., 1931-12-27
LIQUOR SHOWDOWN
is AIM OF VETS IN
PRESENT CONGRESS
Forces in Both Houses Seek
Action on Question Before
| 1882 Campaign.
THREE SUBCOMMITTEEs
| WILL START HEARINGS
Bingham Measures to Be Studied
by Each, Headed by 0ppo-
nents of Dry Law.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

The stage is being set for a shoU.
oo"n on prohibition in Congress dur
Ing the present session. This is the
END for which the vets are working
with the idea that they will force all
members of both houses to show their
colorS on the liquor issue before the
campaign begins which ends with the
general election aext year.
Ihree subcommittee of the Senate
Judiciary and manufactures committees
are to begin hearings on measures deal
ing with repeal. revision or amendment
OF the national liquor laws within a
snort time. All three are headed by
senators who are unfriendly to national
prohloitlon. Senator Norris of Nebras-
Ka' chairman, dry, yesterday appoint
ed two subcommittee of the Senate
judiciary Committee to deal with the
liquor problem.
one OF these subcommittee will have
before 1t Senator Bingham's resolution
calling for repeal of the eighteenth
amendment and the substitution of
control Of the liquor traffic by the
States. This subcommittee is composed
OF Senator Blaine of Wisconsin, chair
man; Senators Borah of Idaho, Heb
ert OF Rhode Island, Ashurst of Ari-
zona and Walsh of Montana. Blaine
Is Wrlnglng wet, and Hebert is anti
prohlbltlon. On the other hand, Borah
Is strongly opposed to repeal of the
eighteenth amendment, and is against
any proposal to revise or resubmit the
elgnOeenth amendment until a substi-
tute plan which he considers better
than the present system has been
worked out by critics of national pro-
hlbltlon as 1t is. A8hurst has been a
defender of national prohibition on the
moor OF the Senate, Senator Walsh
mas been for prohibition, but has said
ne would vote on the question of res,1b-
mission Of the eighteenth amendment
as his State desired. Arizona went
! wet In a recent referendum.
Gets Referendum Proposal.
The other subcommittee appointed
| by Senator Norris will have charge of
the resolutions introduced by Senator
BlngEam for referendum on prohibi-
tlon and similar measures. Senator
Heoert Is to be chairman Of this SUBJ
! committee and the other members are
Robinson OF Indiana, dry of the drys,
and King of Utah. who voted against
the eighteenth amendment. but who has
suppored national prohibition since the
| adoption of that amendment.
The third Senate committee which
has to do WITH the liquor question is
| a subcommittee of the Committee on
Manufactures, which will consider the
Bingham bill for per cent beer. It
is composed of Metcalf of Rhode Island,
chairman. wet. and Senator Cutting
OF New Mexico and Senator Sheppard
OF Texas, the last one of the co-author's
OF the eighteenth amendment
All OF these committees are expected
to get down to work and to hold hear
ings. probably. soon after the Christmas
recess has been concluded. The Blaine
Committee is to have referred to it all
other repeal measures, similar to the
Bingham resolution, and measures pro-
| posing modification of the liquor laws,
including bill which Blaine himself
Is now drafting Another bill before
! the subcommittee was introduced by
Senator Bingham and would authorize
physicians to prescribe malt beverages,
and still another to legalize the use
| and sale of wood alcohol. Perhaps the
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