Evening star., 1932-01-12
|PRESS CONSPIRACY |
| ON BEER IS DENIED
Senator MetcaIf Assai|s
Charges of Excessive
"Wet" Publicity.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Senator Metcalf, Republican, Rhode
Island, today defended the press
against charges that it gave "outland-
ish and unreasonable publicity TO the
wet" side of prohibition
Replying to contentious OF Senator
Brookhart, an Iowa Republican prohl-
bitionist, that the newspapers had or
ganized some sort OF racket against
dry organizations because they had re-
fused or neglected to buy space" Sen
ator Metcalf confined his statement to
accounts of testimony before his COM
mite on the bill to permit per cent
beer.
Gives Press Support.
Metcalf chairman of the committee
said 1.-The press associations and corre-
spondents representing newspapers be-
fore this committee have reported these
hearings as fairly as possible, but If II
is true that there is some sort OF news
racketeering going on I want to invite
those organizations who have such evil
dence to present it to this committee"
"It should be thoroughly understood
bv both Sides" he added, that the wit
nesses presepted thus far have been
called by the proponents of this (beer)
bill and that direct testimony has nat
urally all been in favor Of it.
1T is, therefore, obvious that press
reports must largely carry the side
faVoring the legalization OF beer. AT
later date the opponents OF this bill will
be allotted time equal to that given the
proponents"
Metcalf. an -prohibitionist, read
his statement after five more witnesses
had appeared before his committee ano
urged passage of the Bingham bill tc
permit per cent beer.
Two Legislators Testify.
Two Representatives went over tt
the Senate side of the Capitol today
to testify in favor of prohibition modi.
fication before the committee, which Is
holding hearings on the Bingham 4
per cent beer bill. Representative Clam
cy-Michigan Republican urged some
form" of the Canadian lquor-control
system for this country.
Representative Karch, Democrat, II.
linoiS, advocated local retail stores
system of beer distribution.
Clancy said that students in Toronto
and Kingston, in Canada, where beel
o.,
Ann Arbor, Mich, from high-powerec
gin and moonshine whisky"
Feared Gangsters.
He said he and other citizens of De-
troit were afraid to put away their cars
at night for fear of being knocked In
the head by gangsters, yet rs miles
across the border there were no spies
no informers, no prohibition agents OF
gangsters."
Il feel absolutely safe in my cottage
over there" he said.
Clancy said the Canadians took care
OF their ecclesiastical racketeers more
roughly than we do here. They smack
them down"
They" he added, wouldn't allow a
little sect to run them. The Canadians
don't understand how we let Bishop
Cannon and F. Scott Mcbride dictate tc
our Legislature and the President.
They were particularly astoundec
when Mcbride said in Canada the Anti
Saloon League was led by God"
Bishop James Cannon, jr., sat making
notes not 10 feet from the witness. He
looked up from his notebook, smiling
as Clancy referred to him.
Edgar Allan Poe, jr., Baltimore com.
mander of the Crusaders, an anti-pro.
hibition organization, also urged modi-
f1cation of the Volstead act to permit
beer.
Poe, an attorney and a. relative oi
the poet, said it was inconsistent tc
than one-half of l per cent alcoholic
content and permit the making of Il
per cent wine in the home.
Would Aid Mental Attitude"
Five per cent beer, he contended
would go far to change the "menta
attitude" of the people, particularly
those out of work.
He said prohibition Is not being en-
forced, and that SIS barrel tax or
beer would bring revenue of S375, ,000,'
900, or more than we are losing under
the moratorium"
The people are getting aroused anc
are fed up with conditions under pro.
hibition," he said, adding that If they
continue, there will be enough people
in the next four or five years to wipe
out the eighteenth amendment anc
bring back the old conditions before
prohibition"
Poe said he came from wet" COM
munity and perhaps was Influenced by
that sentiment, but he said personally
he did not like beer.
Representative Karch said If beer be-
comes legal it would be easy for East
st. Louis and Bellevf1ie, Ill, or his dis
trict, to raise from 100000 to $400 0OC
year through licenses to retail stores
for beer.
He estimated there were two speak.
easies in his district for every licensed
saloon before prohibition, and bootleg
gers profits were $500,000 year
TIE American people will never sub
nit to strict enforcement of the eight
eenth amendment" he said.