Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-12-05

The Seventy-second Congress is now
definitely launched on its last session.
VIII it prove epoch-making in its treat
ment Of the many serious issues con-
fronting 1t or will 1t prove hectic and
futile as so many lame duck sessions
have proven heretofore? AS was ex-
pected, a double barreled attack on the
noble experiment. features the OPEN
ing moves on Capitol Hill. and liquor
ito be or not to be"-holds the center
Of the stage. Speaker Jack Garner, fol-
lowing what he regards as the cate
gorical imperative" of the mandate in
the recent. elections, starts a fast and
furious drive for naked repeal" while
an independent move for beer around
the corner" is taking shape by the hour.
The brewers are gathered in force to
tell Congress of the state of their in
dustry and presumably that they are
ready to begin operations. The wine
growers are among those present to tell
of the condition of their vineyards. The
organized battalions of the drys are
modified to offer stout battle to repeal
lists, modidcationiStS and revenue seek
ers alike. In the midst of this stu
alton, pregnant with drama, all are
awaiting President Hoover's message on
the state Of the Union. What, If any
thing, will he say on his attitude toward
immediate legislation Of beer? A word
of encouragement from him would
hasten action, but it is by no means GER
tain that his disapproval would seriously
affect the momentum of the drive in
progress.
Sectional lines will undoubtedly be
drawn in the fight over the speaker
ship in the next Congress. Some con-
tend that the Democratic party should
prove that it is national in scope and
gain strength by selection Of Speaker
from some other section than the South.
On this theory and also because so many
OF the major committee assignments go
to Southern Democrats by right OF
seniority, the odds would certainly favor
the gentleman with the flowing tie,
Henry T. Rainey of Illinois. This is not
a prediction. In this connection, how
ever, it is interesting to note that IT
Speakers have come from that strong
hold of Democracy, the South, and 26
from other sections. The Far West has
never been represented. Kentucky has
led the parade of States with six Speak
erS of the House and Massachusetts has
trailed with five Virginia and Penn
sylvania have each furnished four.
* X
With the bonus issue destined to
crop up again. and economies that
would affect war veteran payments
being strongly agitated, considerable
interest will attach to the numerical
strength and the caliber of leadership
of the eX-service men that will sit
in the Seventy-third Congress. The
ex-service men in the Senate and in
the House of Representatives Jared on
the whole rather well in the political
hurricane that swept over the Nation
on November 8. One hundred ex-
service men held seats in the Seventy
third Congress- SO in the House and
IA in the Senate. Twenty-four Of
these, Senators and 81 Representa-
tives, were either defeated at the polls
or were not candidates for reelection.
The indications, however, are that this
loss will be more than offset by the new
corners. In all probability, men who
fought for Uncle Sam from the Halls
Of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli"
will constitute some 20 per cent of the
new National Legislature. 1t should
be said in passing that ex-service men
by no means voted as a bloc on con-
troversial issues affecting the veterans,
and that bonus men and anti-bonus
men were among those elected and
among those who went down to defeat.
X X X
Unless all signs fail, the question of
beer will be put up to President Hoover
for the second time in history. The
first was during his career as food ad-
ministrator. Senator Morris Sheppard
of Texas asked President Wilson if
brewing should be stopped as a means
Of conserving grain. President Wilson,
in turn, shifted the responsibility to
Mr.. Hoover, who gave as his opinion
that 1t would be dangerous to stop
brewing and leave the country on q rye,
gin and brandy basis. Then camerpro-
hibition, which closed the question for
the time. Now 1t looks as If Mr.. Hoover
viii not be as fortunate as President
Wilson in having some one to whom he