Evening star., 1932-12-04
The campaign to legalize light wines
,,titse the eighteenth amendment has

gained SucQ neaQWGy Jf1at IL premises
to precipitate in Congress an even live
lier battle than the fight over beer.
Grape and wine industries are mar
shaling their fcrce5 here, both in and
out of Congress, in preparation for the
opening OF the wet and dry war planned
for the early days of the new session,
next week
Drys. On the other hand, in the midst
of planning big conference convention
of their own under leadership of the
Anti-Saloon League of America, pre-
dicted that the higher alcoholic content
of wine would make it much ea;isr to
stop" than beer with its lower alco-
hohc content.
Evidence that the Eastern and West
ern grape and wine people are joining
hands in the fight for light wines was
seen in q conference last week at the
Willard Hotel, of representatives of both
Eastern and Western wine industries
and the glass busdness. Wcrd has
reached the Capital also that further
big figures in the wine industry are en-
route to Washington to press their
claims
Meantime members of Congress from
| the grape States plan legislation to
"legalize" light wines. The latest to an.
nounce his intention of introducing such
q bill is Representative Clarence F. Lea
CT Santa Rota, Calf. He stated he
would make fight for his bill before
the House Ways end Means Committee
to legalize light wines so far as possible
under the eighteenth amendment. De-
tails of his plan have not bsen divulged.
McAdoo In Fight.
Other members of Congress from
California already out in the open to
defend the grape and wine industry of
their State include the newly-elected
Senator McAdoo. Representative Flor
ence Kahn and Representative WEIGH.
James L. Val of Los Angeles, presi-
dent Of the California Medicinal Wines
Co., conferred at length here last week
with Melvin D. Hildreth of this
city. counsel for the Eastern Committee
of Grape Growers; Clifford H. Newell,
representing one of the important units
of the glass industry, and Dr.. Henry
Fuller. consulting chemist of this city,
who is connected with Louis Martini OF
Kingsburg, Calf, an independent wine
producer
1T is my belief" said Mr.. Val in a
statement issued after the conference in
collaboration with his associates, that
the movement for legalizing beer and
wine should come at the present con-
gressional session, especially light wines.
as they are product of the State OF
California and thousands of California
grape growers are most widely interested
in the proposal to consider the so-called
light wines. They should be considered
at the same time that beer will be con-
sidered. for the reason that the so-called
light wine Is nothing but process OF
natural fermentation from grapes grown
in several States of the Union. Cali
fornia has the largest. percentage.
1T would be unfair and unjust to the
grape growers of the country" said MI.
Val, ito have Congress legalize bever-
age like beer, which no doubt has the
same merits, and ignore the plight OF
the grape growers and the wine lovers
of the country Thousands Of grape
growers are in distress today-their
livelihood being dependent upon their
crops of grapes" His company. Mr..
Val explained, had been able to absorb
the crops of email independent grape
growers for the last few years, hut now
his plant and various other wineries of
the country are loaded to capacity with
so-called medicinal wines. The indus
try hopes Congress will act to legalize
so<called dry wines, or light wines,
leaving the sweet wines, fortified by
grape brandy, to a higher alcoholic
content to regulation for medicinal
The alcoholic content of wines, as ex-
planned by DR.. James M. Doran, chem-
ist, former prohibition commissioner
and now commissioner of industrial al
cohol, varies greatly. Generally speak
ing, light wines which are naturally fer
mented run from IL to IA per cent al
cohol, he said, and include such wines
rs claret, Moselle and Burgundy. The
fortified or sweet wines have higher
alcoholic content which has been added
to the natural fermentation process 10
bring them up to an alcoholic percent
age of from 18 to "a. This group in
cludes port and sherry.
Sacramento wine is Withdrawn In
large quantities for religious purposes,
DR.. DoIan said, and is under Govern
ment SUPERVISION Medicinal wine"
pure grape wine such as port or sherry,
is sold throughout the country on phy-
sicians' prescription.
"Medicated" wines are prepared from
formulaes approved by the Government
to make the liquor unfit for beverage
purposes, but with high alcoholic con-
tent. running up to about % per cent.
They are sold without prescription.
Various methods Of amending the
Volstead act to allow wines under the
eighteenth amendment have been pro-
posed. but the dryS are counterlng with
threats that the Supreme Court of the
United States will hold any of them un-
constitutional because they would vio-
late the Intoxicating" prohibition in
the eighteenth amendment.
It is stoutly contended. however, by
some that ways can be found to legallZe
light" wines which are the product of
natural fermentation.
Much hope of vets rests in section %
of the Volstead act, which permits
manufacture of fruit juices in the home. |
Among other things this section says
The penalties provided in this act
against the manufacture of liquor with
out a permit shall not apply to per-
son for manufacturing non-intoxicat-
ing cider and fruit juices exclusively
for use in his home, but such cider and
fruit juices shall not be sold or delivered
except to persons having permits to
manufacture vinegar"
Amendment Proposed.
Representative Kahn proposes to
amend this section to read, in part:
THE penalties provided in this chapter
against the manufacture Of liquor shall
not apply to the manufacture and sale
Of notwithstanding or naturally fer
mented cider and fruit juices" She
proposes also to permit liquors deVel-
oped by natural fermentation, and to
place light wines in the same category
with sacramental and medicinal wines.
Another method proposed for per-
mitting light wines has been advanced
by Nathan B. Williams. attorney of this
city, who has turned his proposal over
to Senator Tydings of Maryland, who
also Is preparing a beer and wine
measure. Williams proposes that Con-
gress should amend the Volstead act
| to give Congress authority over dis
| titled and fortified" liquors only. leav-
ing products OF natural fermentation
outside the control or restriction OF
Congress. This plan. he claims. would
give the drys no chance to bring
| case into court to test the constitution