The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-06-07
Rockefeller JR. FLAYS
PROHIBITION AND CALLS
FOR REPEAL OF DRY ACT
Anti-SaIoon Forces Struck
Body Blow in Statement
by Oil King.
CITES GROWING EVILS
Endorses Buffers Proposal
for Plank in G. 0. p.
Platform.

By United Press
NEW YORK, June 7. -
John d. Rockefeller Jr., born
and bred of teetotaler stock,
has Spurned the prohibition
amendment, coming out to-
day for its repeal.
His startling course. after years
OF moral and financial support of
the dry cause. led anti-prohibition
forces today to see a tremendous
impetus for a national referendum
on prohibition. while drys charged
him with erroneous conclusions on
prohibitions effects and insisted
they still would win.
Rockefeller made known his
change Of heart in a letter indors-
ing DR.. Nicholas Murray Buffers
proposal for a repeal plank in the
Republican national platform.
Head Of the Standard Oil, promi-
nent in church and philanthropic
work, Rockefeller all his life has
been an abstainer and an ardent
worker for dry legislation.
Family All Abstainers
His father and grandfather we're
abstainers. and his mother, Rookie
teller says in his announcement,
was one of a band of ardent women
who took prayer into the saloons to
combat the evil of drink.
Reared in such tradition, he con-
tributed to the Anti-Saloon League
war chest and spoke for prohibition.
Now, he sees prohibition as detri-
mental and favors its abandon
ment, leaving to later the working
out of substitute plans.
Rockefeller had hoped. he told
Butler, that the eighteenth amend
ment would be supported generally
by public opinion, and that the
cause of temperance would be ad-
vanced.
That this has not been the re-
suit" he wrote, but rather that
drinking generally has been in
creased; that the speGkeasy has re-
placed the saloon, not only unit for
unit, but probably twofold, il not
threefold; that vast army of law
breakers has been recruited and
financed on a colossal scale; that
many Of our best citizens, piqued at
what they regarded as an infringe
ment of their private rights, openly
and unabashed, have disregarded
the eighteenth amendment; that,
as an inevitable result, respect for
all law has been lessened greatly:
that crime has increased to an I'M
precedented desree-I slowly have
and reluctantly, come to believe"
New Evils Greater
The former ally of prohibition re-
turned further indictments against
the eighteenth amendment, with
these suggestions:
L am not unmindful OF the
blessings in the abolition Of the
saloon but these benefits
are more than outweighed by the
evils which have developed: evils
which, If not checked properly, are
likely TO lead to conditions UNI
speakably worse" than they we're
before prohibition.
Repeal may not BY itself end all
these evils, but 1T is prerequisite
to attainment of that goal"
If the eighteenth amendment is
sufficient time ought to
be given before repeal became eff
fective to permit the states, by
legislative action" to set up such
safeguards and methods OF control
as will insure promotion Of temper
ance.
Repeal should be submitted with
out alternative suggestion for con-
troll methods, because 1T will be so
difficult for our people as a whole
to agree in advance on what the
substitute should be and so unlikely
that any one method will At the
entire nation"
Attitude Is Explained
Rockefeller preceded his startling
attack on the prohibition amend
ment with an explanation Of the
attitude Of his famous father and
himself, and an outline of the be-
liefs Of his mother and grand
mother, which read:
MY mother and her mother we're
among the dauntleSs women Of their
day who, hating the horrors OF
drunkenness, often were found with
bands Of women of like mind, pray
ing on their knees in the saloon,
", thai, ardovaf rforfro ~ eoxo 49,
from the evils that so commonly
sprang from these sources Of in
EQUITY"
Dry leaders generally held TO the
view that Rockefeller's desertion Of
their cause would not prevent their
ultimate victory. Some regarded
his actions as that Of "just another
prohibitionist who changed his
mind" Others, however, by their
denial Of charges Of failure made
by Rockefeller, indicated they re-
garded loss Of his support as seri-
GUS
DR.. Buffers own repeal plank"
which Butler says he will fight for
on the floor Of the national Repub-
ican convention. II guarantees
states rights and calls for submits
sion Of a repeal amendment to the
states TO be determined by conven-
ton.
Rockefeller's dramatic bolt re-
called the fact that since conviction
OF william II. Anderson, New York
state superintendent Of the Anti
Saloon League. in 1925. no Rookie
Teller contributions to the prohi-
bition cause are known to have
been recorded. The known con-
tributions have totaled about
100000.