Evening star., 1932-06-09
PROHIBITION HOLDS
PARTIES ATTENTION
W. G. McAdoo Urges Advisory
Referendum on Question
of Repeal.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Prohibition, the unhidden guest OF
politics for a decade, has started for
the Chicago conventions with main
entrance tickets and seat on the
platform.
The White House took occasion last
night to repudiate reports that PreSl-
dent Hoover had approved reSubmlS-
sion plank for the Republican party,
but other leaders of the party have
indicated that such a plank is receiving
approbative consideration. James r.
Garfield, who is writing the platform,
has declined to discuss it.
Gov Roosevelt Of New York in an
interview last night, said he believed
the Democratic party, which he hopes
to lead as presidential candidate in No
vember, will clearly Indicate IN its
platform way to abrogate the eight
eenth amendment. HIS own views en-
prohibition, as pronounced in 1890, he
added, have not changed. At that
time he said the control of liquor
should be returned to the States.
Asks for Referendum.
Another outstanding Democrat, Will
liam Gibhs McAdoo. studied today the
iCoIt4O4i w AAAo ou69NotAOh 'IA't0 iA's
tional referendum, authorized by Con-
gress, be conducted next year, at which
all the people could vote yes" or no
on the question shall the eighteenth
amendment be repealcd?'
The referendum. under the McAdoo
suggestion, would be advisory He be-
lieves it is the quickest possible soiu-
tion of the problem.
John d. Rockefeller, jr.s, pronounce
ment that, in his opinion, prohibition
has failed and both major parties should
have resubmission planks continues to
draw prominent comment, commenda-
tory and condemnatory. DR.. John
Grier Hibben, retiring president OF
Princeton University and formerly
dry, said that. in his Judgment. the
Rockefeller statement both crystallizes
and marshals opinion on this subject"
Dr. Clarence True Wilson, long a
leader among prohibitionists as eXecu-
tive secretary of the Methodist Board of
Temperance, Prohibition and Public
Morals, said last night in Chicago that
the statement of Rockefeller was "un-
Ike and unworthy of him"
Prohibition" said DR.. Wilson, gave
us 10 years of unbroken prosperity and
it Will bring it back
South Turns Wet.
Bishop James Cannon, jr, speaking
at Fairfield. Iowa, criticized the in
flucnces that surround Mr.. Rockefeller >
Living as he does, where literally
satcn'S seat is, in the home city of Al
frcd z. Smith. OF Jimmy Walker and
OF tie Tammany tiger" was the way
tn bishop described it.
Cf more concern to politicians Of
bO,h par les than the spoken opinions
of individuals, however, were develop
i-N w., 1,:fN I,3c
been an issue ct the polls. OF particu-
lar psrtinence was the emphasis prohi-
bitiCn is receiving in parts of the South
long listed as dry.
At Baton Rouge the Louisiana Legis-
lature gave final approval yesterday to
referendum On repeal or modification
OF the eighteenth amendment The
State Senate also approved resolution
fer submitting repeal of the State en-
forccLent law to the voters. There was
little opposition to either measure.
IN the fourth Florida congressional
district Mcrl; Wilcox. who bid for nomi-
nGt-c1 in Tuesdays Democratic primary
On platform advocating repeal, main
tai-ed 5000 vote led over Repre-
sentative Ruth Bryan Owen Mrs
Owen, whose father, William Jennings
Bryan. was one of Democracy's out
Standing advocates of prohibition, ia
vored referendum plank.
Only One Dry Leads.
The prohibition issue was a factor in
three other Florida congressional dis
tricts, and in but one of these, the
third, was an avoWed dry in the lead
The advantage there of Representative
Tom Yon was $50 votes over the second
man of field of three Both of Yon's
0nnNnpnt= favor roferavG,1Y
mately 80 precincts were unreported
At Richmond thousands of Virginia
Democrats gathered today in conven-
tion with prohibition the dominant sub
Ject. second only to Endorsement Of
Harry Flood Byrd as their choice for
presidential candidate. Byrd has an
nounced a plan favoring new con-
stItuuonal amendment which would
permit Congress to refer repeal or modi-
hcat:on to direct vote of the people.
Adding his voice to those Of other
Democratic leaders on the prohibition
question, former Senator James A. Reed
of Missouri gave expression yesterday to
proposal that beer and wine "of
limited alcoholic content" be legalized
by Congress as a taX-raising n easure
Reed favorite son candidate for
the Democratic presidential nomination,
said Congress could legalize manufac-
ture of such beer and wine acting
fairly within the limits of the Con-
stitution." He urged that the Demo-
cratic platform avoid any prohibition
plank which might involve postponing
definite action for three or four or five
years"
w. C. T. U. to Fight.
Militant resistance to any movement
to stampede the parties into anti-pro-
hibltlon sentiment was evidenced by
Mrs. Margaret c. Munns, national treas
urer of the w. c. T. U. She said that
If necessary the drys would walk from
the poor house to the polls to vote
against party or candidate who offers
aid to the repealists."
Mrs. Munns said there evidently was
"a last-minute drive of eastern million
aires under way to threaten the Re-
publicans with campaign poverty unless
the party pledges repeal"
She then asked if the Republicans
would rather have eastern millionaire
dollars or widespread, devoted voting
support of the 100000 drys."