Evening star., 1932-01-11
PRESS CONSPIRACY
|SCHARCED BY DRY
"OutIandish" Publicity Being
Given to Wet Side, Brook
hart Says.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Conspiracy by the press in giving
"outlandish" publicity to "the wet side"
of prohibition was charged in the Sen
ate today by Senator Brookhart.
The Iowa Republican, prohibi-
zionist, had just come from a hearing
on beer bills at which DR.. William
Gerry Morgan Of this city, former
president of the American Medical AS
sociation, had testified that to allow a
4 per cent brew would provide "a
harmless tonic for the sick and improve
present conditions among our youth"
Brookhart said he had been told "the
Anti-Saloon League and other dry So
cieties refused to buy space" in the
newspapers, upon which the papers
turn against them an organized sort
of a racket"
That's the secret of all this wet pub
licity." he said. "All the press associa-
tions are in it alike.
1T is time for them to look into all
this unreasonable and disgusting pub
licity that has been going on"
He added that if they did not, a
congressional inquiry may be forth
coming
1--WE are a nation of bottle drinkers" I"
DR.. Morgan testified IF the youth and
older people were able to purchase good
dependable beer, a vast majority would
turn to this rather than trust the
questionable quality of liquor which Is
now obtained through bootlegging."
Looks on Beer as Tonic.
DR. Morgan said he had never taken
out license to prescribe liquor. He
looked upon beer as a food tonic help
fui because of its vitamin content
especially for the sick who have tenn
porarily lost their appetite.
The witness got into an argument
with Senator Hatfield, Republican, of
West Virginia, a physician, after testi-
flying moderate drinking OF 4 per cent
beer would have no deleterious effect.
How many glasses Of that beer daily
could a person taSe without injury?"
asked Hatfield
In 16 hours believe a person could
take quarts" DR.. Morgan replied.
The Senator said this was contrary
to other physicians claims and pointed
to the number of cirrhosis cases re-
sulting from taking alcohol.
DR.. Morgan said person would have
to take 6 quarts Of per cent beer daily
for some time TO produce liver
cirrhoSis.
"Seven-eighths Of the German peo-
pie have no cirrhosis," he added amid
laughter.
Dr. Morgan said he had observed
much drinking in gatherings of all
classes of persons in every State over
the last two and half years
IF the sale of per cent beer were
legalized" he said, this regreattable
condition would improve and, believe,
progressively.
Points to Liquor on Hip"
He said he had noticed liquor on
the hip" of many of the younger men
and some of the younger women.
Senator Brookhart took exception
to the statement and also to liquor
drinking being general.
He said he attended a community
Halloween party in Evansville. Ind,
where 10000 of the common people"
were present and in tour Of the
crowd saw no sign of drinking"
Questioned by Senator Buckley,
Democrat of Ohio, an anti-prohibition-
list DR.. Morgan said beer containing
Q per cent alcohol by weight would
be sufficient to turn the people away
from bootleg liquor
Mrs, Lorraine Catlin Brewer, vice
nresident of the Congressional Districts
League, the first woman
to appear, predicted that PRESIDENT
Hoover would not veto a bill to legallze
higher alcoholic beer.
Mrs. Brewer said 5000, 900 voters IN
less than three years had signed the
petition to restore beer
and wine