Evening star., 1932-03-15

publican, West Virginia, is preparing q
minority report.
Senator Sheppard. Democrat, Texas,
co-author of the prohibition amend
ment, commented as follows on the
House vote:
'I am very much gratified at the
showing I had figured that the wet
side would lack about 100 votes OF the
two-thirds necessary for submission 10
the States"
Sees Prohibition Doomed.
Senator Tydings, Democrat, Mary
land, leader of the anti-prohibition-
lists, said:
"The size of this vote means that
prohibition in its present form Is
doomed. 1t accurately reflects present
sentiment which has become disguised
with the crime, graft, expense and hy-
pocrisy which always Is associated with
the farce of national prohibition. I
predict a majority of both branches Of
Congress will be against national pro-
hibition after the next election"
Senator Blaine, Republican, Wiscon-
sin, intends to begin hearings shortly
on a resolution to modify and repeal
the eighteenth amendment.
Senator Brookhart, Republican, Iowa,
puG 1LlIO lllC SOl16AC CooAOl1dA iNONOAo
terday a newspaper interview with
Harvard professor saying there was less
drinking now among the students than
in the history of the school.
F. Scott Mcbride, general superin-
tendent of the Anti-Saloon League
issued a statement on the House vote
which said:
After 10 years of intensive effort
l"vishly financed, favored with un-
limited publicity and helped by the
present depression, the liquor forces
failed to get even bare majority in
favor of roll call on the repeal OF
the eighteenth amendment
Since necessary two-thrds wet
vote in the House is the easiest one of
three big obstacles in the way (the
other two requirements being a two
thirds wet vote in the Senate and
majority wet vote in three-fourthS OF
the State Legislatures), repeal of long
way off.
with number of drys voting to
discharge the committee and. nat
urally, no vets voting against dis
charge, the roll call was not an abso-
lutely accurate test of wet and dry
strength. However, the record OF the
vote will be as helpful to the drys as
to the vets in determining the attitude
Of many of the House members.
No Material Changes.
"It will give the drys in the con-
gressional districts an opportunity to
definitely learn the wet or dry position
of any candidate.
AN analysis of the vote will show
no material changes in wet or dry rep
resentation from the various congress
sonal districts as compared with the
vote by which the eighteenth amend
ment was submitted. Most of the few
changes can be accounted for either by
other issues or by failure of the drys
to organize effectively.
"The wet forces are to be congratu-
lated on their success in actually reach
ing a roll call in the House without
proposing any plan to take the place OF
the eighteenth amendment.
The drys are to be commended on
the proportion of the dry vote actually
present or accounted for. This shows
that the drys are as willing as the vets
to stand up and be counted.
"Mr. Linthicums hot denial that his
proposed repeal measure would open the
way for the saloon again revealed the
inconsistency of the wet campaign. II
conditions with the saloon were so bad
that its former friends, even after IL
years do not dare to defend it, how can
they support the contention that pres
en- conditions are worse?
Furthermore, If the wet leaders are
willing, as Mr.. Linthicum declared in
attempting to win votes for his resolu-
ton, to accept an amendment that
would bar saloons, what becomes Of
their argument for State rule, as pro-
vided in their resolution?
Must Organize and Fight.
IF the liquor problem is to be re-
turned to the States, the States them
selves will decide whether or not to
have the saloon, by whatever name it
may be called. On a question of sa-
looms or no saloons, few, If any, who
favor repeal would be either willing or
able to back their present assurances of
opposition to the saloon.
THE vote shows that prohibition
can hold the lines if the drys fight and
that it will be lost unless they organize
and fight.
1T also shows that prohibition Is
non-partisan issue since votes for and
against varied only about a half dozen
votes between the two parties"
statement issued through the Con-
gressional Districts Mobilization League
said
THE vote taken on the floor of the
House of Representatives was the long
est step yet made toward the modifica-
ton of the present prohibition laws.
Our representatives, working in 3l9 con-
gressional districts in 35 States, report
IN their weekly statement that over 85