Evening star., 1932-01-05
PARTY
FACES WET FIGHT
Prospect of Controversy May
OvershadOW Democratic
Battle on Issue.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

A row over the SUBJECT OF prOnlDlLlOn
is looming for the Republican party
which may make the difficulties of The
Democrats over that controversial issue
look like side show
Prospects of the Republican contro-
versy over prohibition were developed
today in conversation among Repub-'
licans on Capitol Hill just when the
Democratic National Committee is pre-
pairing to come here to hear what its
chairman, John J. RaSkob, has to say
about prohibition. Mr.. Raskob already
is in Washington and is expected to
make statement regarding his views
on the liquor issue within the next "a
hours. In some quarters it has been
suggested that Mr.. Raskob will under
take to softpedal prohibition.
However, there has been nothing yet
to indicate that he has abandoned his
proposal that the Democratic party
write into it's platform this year a rec
ommendation for a referendum on his
so-called home-rule plan.
Convention Fight Expected.
The wet and dry factions in the Re-
publican party are feeling more and
more bitter toward each other as the
time for the National Convention ap-
proaches. At the recent meeting Of the
Republican National Committee in
Washington it was found possible to
avoid a reference to prohibition in the
open sessions. However, the feeling
for and against prohibition was smol-
dering underneath the surface.
Only the fact that the Republicans
have made it a rule not to attempt in
National Committee meetings to COM
nit the Republican party on any plat
form issue made it possible to keep the
prohibition issue under &over. Predic-
tion was made today in %sll informed
Republican quarters that LNe matter
would be fought out vigorously when
the National Convention meets in June.
So far, no possible compromise for
the Republicans has been suggested.
The talk of a referendum, put forward
by wet Democrats in the hope Of sat-
iSfying both the vets and dryS in their
party, has been matched by some of
the Republican vets.
The referendum proposal, however,
has made no appeal to the Republican
drys, whatever the effect on the Demo-
cratic drys. In some quarters there has
been talk of taking the prohibition issue
out of the campaign by having both the
Republican and Democratic platforms
carry a referendum plank. The Repub-
licans have shown no willingness so far
to agree to any such plan.
Republican drys and Republican vets
both are fanatical in their positions
today.
Hoover Stand Urged.
President Hoover has been regarded
by the dry Republicans as the cham
pion of the prohibition cause, although
in his statements on prohibition before
the last campaign Mr.. Hoover only
went so far as to say that prohibition
was an experiment. noble in purpose,
which must be worked out construc-
lively. The President is being urged
by wet Republicans to come out for
some kind of plank in the party plat
form which will be pleasing to the lib
erals. So far he has shown no incli-
nation to make such concessions to the
vets
Indeed, he is not expected to change
his position Of support for the dry laws
and the eighteenth amendment
The Republican party in the past has
been the party of prohibition. 1t has
been in control of the National Gov
ernment ever since the eighteenth
became effective more than
decade ago. and has had charge of
enforcement of prohibition laws.
In the last few years, however, there
has been a growing spirit of revolt
among the Republicans in some of the
most populous States of the country
This spirit of revolt has manifested it.
self particularly in New York, Pennsyl-
Vania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island
Connecticut and Illinois. Even in Ohio
which was formerly the home of the
Anti-Saloon League, there has been
change in sentiment among some of the
Republicans.
Beck Challenges Davis.
Representative Beck of Pennsylvania
yesterday issued statement declaring
that the next Republican candidate for
the Senate from Pennsylvania must be
wet and calling on Senator Davis, who
is up for reelection this year, to de-
clare himself on the prohibition issue.
Mr.. Beck is the leader of the wet Re-
publicans in the House. He indicated
that if Davis does not announce him
self a wet that he, Mr.. Beck, would
enter the primary against Davis.
The drys among the Republicans
however, have on several occasions
shown a willingness to have a Repub-
lican wet candidate defeated at the
polls, even by wet Democrat. In
1880, the dry Republicans in New York
declined to go to the bat for Tuttle
Republican gubernatorial candidate
who had come out wet. Franklin
Roosevelt was elected Governor by
more than 100000 plurality A few
years earlier, former Senator Wads-
worth of New York, Republican, who
came out for repeal of the eighteenth
amendment, was defeated because of
dry Republican defections. Other in
stances of the refusal Of Republican
drys to support wet Republican can
didates have been numerous.
nEMnGpAIS EAGE EIGHT