Evening star., 1933-02-21
Stimson Dispatches Papers.
Roosevelt Pleased, but
Urges Beer Vote.
CONSTITUTIONAL EXPERTS
DIVIDED ON PROCEDURE
Differ on Congress Power to Set Up
Conventions-Drys Call for New
Coalition Party.
BY the AssociatedPress

BY the Associated<Press.
Copies Of the resolution for repeal Of
the prohibition amendment, together
with covering letter, were sent to the
4S Governors by Secretary of State
Stimson this afternoon.
The communications were sent by
registered mail and those which would
not reach a Governor in "A hours by
ordinary mail were airmailed.
Accompanied by Letter.
The letter of the Secretary of State
accompanying the certified copies of
the resolution said:
ut Is requested that you cause this
joint resolution to be submitted to a
convention in your State for such
action as may be had and that certi-
fed copy of such action be communi-
Gated to the Secretary of State as re-
quired by section 100, title S, United
States code"
T Even before the communications were
sent out, Is States, spurred on by O de-
sire to be first, definitely had set out
on fhe road toward repeal few hours
after Congress put the question be-
fore them
Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his en-
couragement within a few moments
after the House had spoken with q Is
vote margin to let the people decide
whether prohibition should prevail as
the law of the land after Is years of
trial and controversy.
But with his expressed qualification
at the action of the House in concur
ring with the Senate, the President
elect 1nterpolated a further hope that
the present Congress in it's dying days
would fulfill another Democratic plat
form pledge by legalizing beer.
Senate Democratic leaders hone to
get up the 3.05 per cent beer bin before
adjournment March 4, but prospects for
final passage at this session are doubt
full. Under tentative program mapped
out by leaders on both sides, appropria>~
tion bills win receive prior considera-
ton.
Enough Legislatures are in session
now to set up the conventions neces-
sary to strip all liquor legislation from
the Constitution except that provided
for In the new neutrality-suspicious.
for dry States against importation Of
intoxicantS.
Forty-two Legislatures are now meet
ing and two more-California and
Florida-convene In the Spring. Only
four-Louisiana, Mississippi, Virginia
and Kentucky-will not meet for year
or more.
There was every indication, however,
that ratification by the necessary SO
states within seven years would not
come without further resistance from
dry organizations. They Immediately
answered the echo of the 298-to-12l
vote in the House with a call to rally
and fight to the finish" in the States.
Procedure Is Problem.
Congress, which first thought it had
dismissed the problem by voting for
ratification by State conventions in
stead of Legislatures, as has been Gus
tomary in the past. found itself still In
possession of difficulty.
Constitutional authorities were split
as to whether the State Legislatures or
Congress should provide for setting up
of the convention machinery.
Such eminent students of constitu-
tional law as Representative Beck, q
Pennsylvania Republican, and former
solicitor general, and A. Mitchell Pal
mer, former Democratic Attorney Gen.
eral. took opposing views. with the lat
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