Evening star., 1933-11-08
Only Nine Months Is Needed
To Kill l4-Year Dry Regime
Prohibition Dies, Leaning Behind 1t Long
History of Gang Vars, Corruption and
Strong-Arm Violation Methods.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
NEW YORK, November 8.-Constittl.
tional prohibition went out as it came
| in. with unexpected swiftness
/ Its life span-ending December 5
when the thirty-sixth State carries out
the doom pronounced yesterday--will
have been exactly 13 years IL months
] and IL days
Not since the early days of the Union
have the States acted with such speed
on constitutional amendments. The
eighteenth amendment was ratified
within l3 months. The twenty-first
amendment, repeating the eighteenth, is
riding into the Constitution In less than
nine months.
Saloons Closed Forever"
Saloons closed their doors forever
on January l6, 1920 They had been
closed before for wartime prohibition.
The wartime act was adopted on No.
vember 81. 1918, when people still were
whooping it up over the signing of the
armistice. II became operative on June
80. 1919. to last until the completion
of demobiliza ton.
Before the wartime ban had been
lifted, the eighteenth amendment. sub
niitted on December II, 1917. was rati-
fed. Its terms made it imperative un-
til a year later.
Dry Forces Organized.
There are some who say the war put
prohibition over The historians say
the war only crystallized sentiment.
There was a fear that grain and other
foodstuffs used in the manufacture of
alcohol might be needed by the Amer
ican Army or by Americas allies.
Behind prohibition lay more than the
war. There was almost century Of
moral agitation. There were praying
bands of women in Hillsboro. Ohio. who
marched from church in 1873 and in
yaded the towns saloons to implore
the drinkers to shun the demon rum
They became the Womens Christian
Temperance Union, the White Ribbon
ers. in 1874. The movement spread Col
lege boys organized the intercollegiate
Prohibition Association in 1892. and
then came the Anti-Saloon League of
America in 1898. Mrs. Rutherford B.
Hayes already had turned the White
House wine glasses down. Garry A.
Nation came out of Kansas with a
hatchet to luin many saloon and sleep
in many jail.
Maine Started Swing.
The Prohibition party polled 255,00o
votes In 1892 Back in 1851 Maine
started the legislative history Of pro-
hibition with State law banning the
sale of liquor. By the time national
prohibition came, SO States were dry,
lS Of them with law written into
their constitutions.
The national ban radically affected
only 3l.7 per cent of the population
and only as per cent Of the area of the
United states, 80 per cent OF the town.
ships and rural precincts, s5 per cent
of the counties and over rs per cent
of the villages, or 6S.3 per cent of the
population and 954 per cent Of the land
area, already had local option or State
prohibition.
The Prohibition party polled $4,000
votes in 1920.
Coined New Words.
America ventured into its era of Vol
steadism with an estimated enforcement
cost of $3.50, ,e00, 900 New words came
into use, "speakeasy," "scofflaw," boot
logger" rum chaser" and noble ex-
pertinent" to describe new manifesto
tions in American life.
Bootlegging became a major indus
try, and a profitable one. Smugglers