Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-11-12
Controlling a Flood.

Controlling q cIoou'
Mr.. F. Scott Mcbride, superintendent
of the Anti-Saloon League, says In
statement that most of the wet Demo-
Gratis who won in this landslide were
elected because they were Democrats
and not because they were vets" That
NAV be perfectly true. but 1t is also
unimportant. Nothing is to be gained
by friends of prohibition and sooriety
In discounting the importance OF the
wet victory at the polls on Tuesday. 1t
was an impressive victory. The impor-
tant thing now for the vets, as well as
for the drys, is to control the wet
sentiment so obviously demonstrated on
every hand and to prevent the damage
which SO easily might result from AL
lowing a wet food to run uncontrolled.
Along with the wet victory indicated
by the election of wet congressman, the
results of eleven referenda in as many
states on the liquor question are highly
significant. In wyoming and Con-
necticut, the New York Times points
out. the referenda were initiated 10
test sentiment on prohibition. But IN
the nine other States, the reterenoa
were to determine whether State en-
forcement laws were to be repealed. Ihe
referenda in all cases resulted in victor
les for the anti-prohobitionists. In some
of the States, notably North Dakota,
oregon, washington, Colorado and Arl-
zona. the State laws were enacted as early
az 1s14, long before national prohibition
became effective, and these laws now
have been wiped clean from the statute
books.
The question now Is whether the So
called modifying legislation, amending
the Volstead act In advance Of submit
ting to the people the repeal or revision
of the eighteenth amendment, and per-
hitting manufacture and sale OF beer
and possibly light wines, is to be taken
I'D at the short session OF Congress.
Most of the pronounced vets who have
been reelected to Congress have already
come out In favor Of such q program,
and they have been joined by such for
mer drys as Senator Robinson Of Arkan-
sas senator Pat Harrison Of Mississippi
and Senator Byrnes Of South Carolina.
A regent slogan Of Beer In Our Time"
has become Beer Before Christmas"
Senator Borah stands like q stone wall
against such program, and raises the
objection that there are more important
things for the short session to do than
debating the still-controversial question
of changing the prohibition laws. In
the short session well organized opposi-
ton could probably block wet legisla-
ton.
Beer of low, alcoholic percentage (such
as the 275 per cent beer approved by
labor unions) can as an alleged non
intoxicating domestic beverage more
readily run the gauntlet Of constitu-
tional prohibition and presidential veto
than any Of the wines, with their much
higher percentage of alcoholic content.
Passage Of beer legalizing amendment
70 lIIC NOActCd0 ~ W A4NASooC Va WIZ
permissible percentage Of alcohol would
also be facilitated If in connection with
it effective provision were made to pre-
vent the return of an uncontrolled
saloon as the medium Of beer distribu-
ton. Both parties have declared against
the return of the saloon.
There are sound objections to any
program that seeks to dispose Of the
liquor problem In precipitate haste. On
the other hand, the danger that now
confronts those who can regard the
liquor problem dispassionately and aside
from mere personal inclinations to
drink or not to drink is that undue
delay by Congress may result in COM
plete breakdown of prohibition and
tacit notification of the eighteenth
amendment as well as the Volstead act.
The demoralizing influences of such
breakdown are to be considered, as
well as the fact that they would inter-
pose substantial obstacles to efforts to-
retain intelligent control over the liquor
traffic while modifying the extent Of
such control given in words by the
eighteenth amendment.