Evening star., 1932-08-12
Drys and Vets Glue
Praise and Blame to
HooUer's Liquor Stand

While most wet and dry leaders to-
day were preparing formal statements
on President Hoover's prohibition ex-
preston in his acceptance speech last
night, from both camps today came
praise of the Presidents stand.
Senator Simeon D. FesS of Ohio,
leader in the prohibition movement,
gave full Endorsement to the Hoover
speech, as did DR.. F. w. Buck, execu-
tive secretary of the Federal Dispen-
Sary-Tax Reduction League, an anti
prohibition organization.
In a statement, Dr. Buck said:
He has come around at last to ac-
cept what we have been advocating for
the last nine years.
He seems to understand perfectly
that no amendment can be ratified that
does not protect against the saloon and
fully protect the States which wish to
remain dry and at the same time elirni-
nate politics from the issue.
Question of Ratification.
I'VE are satisfied that any resolution
passing Congress that didn't include
these three protective points couldn't
be ratified by the required 36 States.
ANY resolution that couldn't be rati-
fed would delay solution of this prob
lem at least 10 years"
Senator Fess said: 1T was a great
state paper covering every problem with
proposal for sane solution, including
prohibition. 1t will grip the American
people as few utterances of public lead
ers have done"
Senator Smoot of Utah, another pro-
hibitiOn StalWart.
The whole statement was right to
the point. 1t was just what was need
ed for America. That goes for prohi-
bition and all"
DR.. Edwin C. Dinwiddie, secretary
Of the National Board OF Prohibition
Strategy, said he did not feel warrant
ed in expressing hurried opinion, I"
but would make a statement later.
Henry H. Curran, president of the
Association Against the Eighteenth
Amendment, said he probably would
issue a statement.
Bishop Cannon Abroad.
Deets Pickett, research secretary of
the Methodist Board of Prohibition,
Temperance and Public Morals, said he
might have something 10 say next
week.
Bishop James Cannon, jr.; DIR. Clar-
ence True Wilson, DR.. Ernest H. Cher
rington and DR.. T. Scott Mcbride, all
prominent in the dry cause. were out
of town, Bishop Cannon in Geneva,
Switzerland.
Rufus Lusk of the Crusaders, an or
ganization opposed to prohibition. said
there would be a meeting of the leaders
of his group Saturday in Cleveland and
probably statement would be drawn up
then.
DR.. Dinwiddie said in due course a
meeting of his board may be held, but
that will probably be subject to the
decision of the Executive Committee,
which meets early in September, unless
circumstances should warrant previous
call by the chairman and officers OF the
board
Canon Chase Critical.
Some of the disapproval in the dry
ranks to President Hoover's latest pro-
hibition expression was contained, now
ever, in a statement issued this morn
ing by Canon William Sheafe Chase,
Superintendent of the International Re
form Federation and member OF the
Prohibition Board of Strategy. He said:
The President has weakened and
surrendered to the lawlesS liquor trattic
at the very time when renewed de-
termination was all that was needed to
assure the successful enforcement OF
national prohibition.
The tragedy of his statement is that
it will make enforcement more difficult
for the next four years If he is elected.
THE Republican substitute, II en-
acted, would embody in the Constitu-
ton a recognition of the legality of the
beverage alcohol liquor traffic, which
the common law, the Supreme Court
and the eighteenth amendment have
declared an outlaw.
"Mr. Hoover defends the Republican
wet plank, which proposes to amend
the eighteenth amendment on the
grounds the latter cannot be enforced.
Yet the proposed substitute of return
ing to State control will be 10 times
more difficult. The President must
know the liquor traffic has never obeyed
any restraining law"