Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-11-11
FOES OF BEER MAY
STAGE F|L|BUSTER
AT SHORT SESSION
Drys Look to Borah and Hoo
yer to Prevent Early Change
in Present Laws.
HOUSE WILL BE ABLE
TO ACT AT ANY TIME
McNary Says Senate May Also
Take Up Modification if Sufficient
Strength Is Shown.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

The drys are counting on killing beer
legislation in the coming short session
by a filibuster provided they have not
the votes to stop it in the lame duck"
Congress.
If by any chance a beer bill should
be put through both House and Senate,
then the drys will rely upon President
Hoover to veto the measure, on the
ground that it would ''nullify' the Con-
stitution. Should the bill. become law,
however, they will still hope for a de-
cision by the Supreme Court of the
United States holding the legalization OF
beer unconstitutional.
Senator Borah of Idaho gave more
than hint as to what may be expected
from the drys in the Senate when he
said on his return to Washington that
he expeced no action in the short ses-
sion on either a beer bill or resolution
to repeal or revise the eighteenth
amendment.
BOrah Dry Champion.
What chance have such controversial
measures in a short session OF Con-
gress." was the comment OF the loaho
Senator He regards the enactment OF
beer legislation as an attempt to nullly
the Constitution. He is opposed TO re-
peal of the eighteenth amendment until
a better plan has been worked out
for dealing with the liquor traffic. The
drvs will look to him as their cham
pion against beer legislation In the
coming Congress.
Furthermore. Senator Borah argues
that the question of prohibition was
not really decided by the election last
tuesday; that when the Republicans
adopted their platform calling for re-
vision of the eighteenth amendment
and President Hoover made his in
depreciation of the platform they took
the issue out Of the national election,
with the Democrats and the Repuollc-
ans having declared practically for the
same thing.
Senator Charles L. McNary, assistant
Republican leader of the Senate, would
not today venture prediction on what
would happen to beer bill if 1t came
to the Senate. He said that if it COM
mands sufficient number Of votes II
could be taken up at any time. How
ever. he pointed out that in the limited
time of short session, with other I'M
portant matters pressing Tor ATTENTION,
a determined opposition might easily
prevent action. The beer bill, he said,
would have to originate in the House.
since it would have to do with revenue.
He was unable to say whether Such a
measure could command the support OF
the present House, which in the last
session voted down number OF pro-
posals to legaliZe beer.
1873 Largest Wet Vote.
If the House. however, should place
in a revenue measure at the short Ses-
sion a provision taxing beer and thereby
legalizing it. the Senate might be
forced to a vote on the proposal, or be
in the position of preventing much
needed legislation to raise revenue Tor
the Government.
During the last session Of Congress
the House voted several times on ques-
tions relating to prohibition. The big
geSt division in favor of the wet side
showed 1873 House members voting to
take up a wet measure, with 247 aligned
against it. But that was before the
Democratic and Republican national
platforms had been adopted. and, OF
course, long before the election, which
has swept many opponents OF the eight
zenith amendment into office.
The crux of the matter, so far as beer
legislation in the House is concerned, is
how many of the Democrats in that
body will be bound by the Democratic
national platform. which calls for i'm
mediate revision of the Volstead act so
as to permit beer which is non-intoxi-
eating Many OF the Democrats in the
present House were reelected, and II
they are to be wet" in the next Con-
Continued on Page 4, Column o.