Evening star., 1932-10-16
WINE MEN DOUBT
DRY LAW REPEAL
italian Vineyardists Adopt
Pessimistic View After
Survey of U. S.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
ROME, october 15.-Pessimism has
succeeded the optimism with which
Italian wine growers first viewed signs
of repeal or modification of prohibition
in the United States, says Prof. Adolfo
Carpentieri, secretary of the Federation
of Wine Growers.
we first thought the moment had come
for renewal of Italian wine exports
to the United States. which before the
war were worth S2,l00,000 a year" he
said in an interview. Accordingly, we
made a thorough survey of the field.
In consequence of that survey our lllu-
sions have fallen"
The reason. he said. is:
The repeal of prohibition in Amer
lea, We believe, will be very SLOW proc
ess. 1t may not be put into effect for
years. And when, and if. it is the wine
growers in California will demand pro-
hibitive tariffs to keep out European
wines"
Agreements Planned.
Accordingly. the International Con-
greSS of Vineyards and Wine, which
meets III Rome from October % to 80,
with delegates from France, Germany,
Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Bulgaria,
Brazil. Peru and Chile attending. will
not discuss the American situation so
enthusiastically as some delegates had
intended.
On the program of the congress is
one section of discussion defined as fol-
lows: Proposals for a division of con-
sumers' markets by means of agree
ments among producing countries
and for uniting forces to gain new
markets until now not at all, or barely,
accessible to wine"
The federation has been distributing
similarly peSSimiStic reports on the
prospect OF a new regime of wine in
the United States made by experts liv-
ing there. One, by Commentators
Guido ROsSati. director of the Italian
Royal Agrarian Office, New York City,
says:
Now and for some time in the fu-
ture the roseate hopes entertained in
Italy are and will be unjuStitied.
Whatever be the result of the elections.
the States can take up to seven years
to ratify any modification of the eight
eenth amendment. The dry States will
certainly avail themselves of this privi-
lege, if for no other reason than to re-
tard the approval Of the modification
by two-thirdS of the States
Home Brewing Too Good.
Commentators Rossati quotes the
italian epigram, ''Dal dire al fare c'e di
meZzo il mare" meaning An ocean
lies between the saying and the do
ing" and says: Between a program
proposed at the nomination of
candidate and the importation of
Italian wine into the American market
lies the Atlantic Ocean
Further. he reports: There is
scarcely citizen in the United States,
dry or wet, who has not become in
these years of prohibition perfect
producer of wines and liquors. Now
that every consumer has taken on the
habit of making wine by himself with
California grapes. at very low cost and
with great satisfaction, it is vain to
hope that he will want to abandon this
custom and return to imported wine
four times more costly than that made
at home.
Furthermore, even IN the best cf
hypothesis the danger of diScrimina-
tory objections against wine importa-
ton must not be excluded. Such an
importation would forthwith be subordi-
mated to a multiplicity of limitations
imposed by the Federal Government,
If not By the States"