Evening star., 1932-08-14
DRY FORCES SPLIT
AS SUPPORT TURNS
TOWARD PRESIDENT
Continued From First Page.)


calcitrant and our people therein either
acquiescent or powerlesS to correct
such an anomalous and intolerable situ-
alton as was presented by the break
down in concurrent enforcement re-
Sponsibility."
The drys themselves could not escape
their share Of the responsibility for the
failure of prohibition enforcement DR..
Dinwiddie insisted. because many of
them had shown lethargy and helpless
ness in the face of repeated warnings
from their leaders, which he recalled by
chapter and verse
Since it was useless to dispute the
situation which mas resulted. or the
causes of it, the dry leader pointed to
the distinction between President Hoo
ver'S stand for modification Of the
eighteenth amendment, the while prom
iSing rigid enforcement, and Gov, Roose-
velt's stand for ruthless repeal" and
intermediate notification" by modifi-
cation of the Volstead act Moreover
he thought the drys might better take
their stand with the President, who. he
said, had "braved the mob's displea- --e
as symbolized by the unruly galleries in
both national conventions, than with
Gov. Roosevelt. whom, he said. Welded
to the mob rule when he accepted the
conventions stand for outright repeal
despite his own previous stand for the
mere submission of the question.
Believed Only Way.
The failure or refusal of States and
municipalities to cooperate in enforce
ment. as was contemplated, Mr.. Din
widdie said, by the trainers of the eight
eenth amendment, had tended to pre-
vent the degree of enforcement essen
tial in a republic" President Hoover
he declared, was pointing the only con-
structlve way out of the serious situa-
ton which has resulted. with its men
ace to republican institutions"
Mr.. Dinwiddie made it clear, more
over, that, unlike DR.. Mcbride, he die
see merit and practicability in the Pres
ident's proposal for excluding the saloor
in any amendment for returning liquor
control to the States.
1t was apparent from the messages oi
congratulation which continued to poul
into the White House from all part:
OF the country in unprecedented vol
ume, it was said, and from the reports
OF dry leaders about the country, that
the tone of humility and responsibility
In the Presidents acceptance address
even in sections having nothing to dc
with prohibition, was appealing to the
dry voters and especially the church
folk, who constitute the backbone OF
the dry element in those Western
States where the drys hold the balance
of power.
Reaction Still Weeks Away.
The ultimate effect Of the Presidents
prohibition stand on the dry forces /:
not expected to be seen for weeks. Peo-
pies emotions on the prohibition ques-
ton are so deep-lying, it is explained
tlat neither the extreme dryS nor the
extreme vets can be delivered" by
Lleir leaders, and statements from
headquarters, composed by the cen
trail directors of the dry organiza-
tions, will be regarded as little more
than rallying calls, the effect of which
must be gauged in the gradual reaction
of the rank and file.
The most that can be said, it L
felt, Is that the elements of a far
reaching political realignment are pres.
ent. The Republican leaders feel more
confident about the essential North
eastern tier of States. without which
only one Democratic President has beer
elected. They recognize that the dry
element holds the balance of power ir
many Western States, but reason thai
not even the prohibition question woulo
be strong enough to offset the effect Of
a continued increase in farm prices II
that area, whatever the ultimate turr
of this balance of power" vote. More.
over, the Republicans could afford tt
lose most of the Western States and still
carry the election, If they held theil
ground in the East.
DR.. Mcbride, in his statement, ad.
hered to the ground originally taken BY
the National Prohibition Board Of
Strategy, that prohibitionists should
concentrate on the congressional rather
than the presidential election, to the enc
end of organizing last-ditch one
block in either or both Houses of Con.
greSs. The new effort in the Board oi
Strategy leadership to win support fol
President Hoover is calculated pri-
marily to avoid what would be consid-
cred serious psychological setback in
case the repealist candidate were to wiz
the presidential election.