Evening star., 1933-02-12
|DRY REPEAL FIGHT
CONFRONTS SENATE
Prohibitionists Plan Pro.
Ionged Debate When Blaine
Resolution Comes Up.

One Of the sharpest battles Of the
session Is looming up just ahead Of the
Senate over the question OF repeal OF
the eighteenth amendment
With the Blaine resolution to submit
an amendment for qualified repeal wait
ing to come up after disposal Of the
War Department appropriation bill, it
was expected the friends and foes of
prohibition would lock horns over the
question tomorrow.
Dry Senators will tight the plan OF
taking up the resolution for considera-
tion, but II beaten in this, they will then
tighten their belts for long argument
against submission Of the proposed
amendment. The strategy of the drys
VIII be to prolong the debate in the
expectation that it will become neces-
sary. after q few days, to lay the Blaine
resolution aside to go ahead with the
appropriation bills.
Fund Controversy Looms.
Meantime, the Senate is confronted
with another prospective controversy
over the question Of cutting the funds
for prohibition enforcement another 10
per cent. This controversy will come up
when the State, Justice, Commerce and
Labor bill Is considered. The bill is
ready for the consideration of the
Senate now and Appropriations Com
mittee leaders are not willing to delay
it long for the consideration OF repeal,
especially when they believe repeal viii
not be disposed Of In this session.
Indications are that many phases of
prohibition enforcement will be threshed
out when the enforcement appropria-
tions are reached in the four-depart-
ment bill. Senator Sheppard, Texas
Democrat, has introduced an amend
ment which would permit wire tapping
when authorized by Assistant Attorney
General in charge of prohibition en-
forcement. This is the proposition
which the Senate Appropriations Com
mittee knocked out 1t was felt by
some Of the committee that it would, in
fact, open the door wide to wire tapping.
Not only wire tapping but the use Of
informers and purchasing Of liquor for
purposes Of evidence probably will be
threshed over In the debate on the
appropriation bill.
The debate over the Blaine repeal
resolution is expected to take wide
range. Not only will the drys fight IT.,
but it will open up the differences be-
and qualified repeal.
Opinion Is Divided.
A number Of Democratic Senators and
some of the Republicans are insistent
that the Senate submit to the States
an amendment for unqualified repeal.
Also, they want the submission to be
made to conventions instead Of Legis-
latures.
The Blaine amendment, as contained
In the Wisconsin Senator's resolution,
would protect dry States against in
vasion of liquor from wet States;
would give the Federal Government
concurrent power to prevent return Of
the saloon in the States. and would be
submitted to the Legislatures for rati-
f1cation. Many of the vets take the
view that unless some such concessions
are made to dry sentiment, repeal will
never come about.
Such Is the division Of opinion
among the advocates of naked repeal
and qualified repeal, that 1t is a ques-
ton whether they can be brought to-
gether even in the extra session.
The power to initiate and regulate
the holding of State conventions to
consider prohibition repeal not only
lies in Congress but should be con-
sidered by Congress, according to
Ralph M. Shaw, prominent Chicago
lawyer, who expressed the opinion in a
letter to Mrs. William B. Mason,
chairman Of the women's organization
for national prohibition reform, a copy
OF which has just been sent to each
member Of Congress. t
Mr.. Shaw's finding is based on an
analysis made by him at the request
OF the women's organization Of the dif-
fering views Of Representative Beck,
Republican, Of Pennsylvania, and for
mer Attorney General A. Mitchell
Palmer. Mr.. Beck holds the State
Legislatures have the authority to set
up State conventions, while Mr.. Palmer
holds the Federal Government can do
50.