Evening star., 1933-03-21
ROOSEVELT URGED
TO VETO BEER BILL
Conference of Drys Holds
Signing Of Measure Would
Violate Constitution.
b. the Associated Press.

b. the Associated Press.
President Roosevelt was told that he
could not sign the 80 per cent beer bill
without violating the Constitution. in a
letter made public last night by the
National Conference of Organizations
Supporting the Eighteenth Amendment.
The group urged veto.
The bill was not designed as a meas
ure for prohibition enforcement, but to
raise revenue" the letter said. 1T Is
based upon the false legislative premise
OF seeking to legalize the maximum
amount of alcohol in a beverage not
actually Intoxicating. which is some
thing physically and scientifically i'm
possible of accomplishment. since alco-
hol affects no two individuals alike.
Percentage Fixed by Brewers
THE percentage fixed in the bill Is
that recommended by the represent
atives of the brewing trade as the
amount which would afford the largest
volume Of sales and result In the great
est amount Of revenue to the Govern
ment."
The communication was signed by F.
Scott Mcbride. general superintendent
Of the Anti-Saloon League of America.
and Edward B. Dunford, it's attorney
Ella A. Boole. president of the National
Woman'S Christian Temperance Union,
and Izora Scott the legislative repre-
sentative; Clarence True Wilson, gen
eral secretary of the Methodist Board
of Temperance Prohibition and Public
Morals; Bishop James Cannon, jr.,
chairman of the Board of Temperance
and Social Service of the Methodist
Episcopal Church South, and Eugene
L. Crawford. the general secretary; Will
liam Sheafe Chase, general superintend-
ent of the International Reform Fed
Grafton. and Edwin c. Dinwiddie, super
intendent Of the National Temperance
Bureau.
81 Held intoxicating.
Saying President Roosevelt in his
message to Congress recommended legal
1zation of the beverages of such alco-
holic content as is permissible under
the Constitution" the organization
added that eminent scientists" had
testified to congressional committees
that 80 per cent beer is intoxicating
Among those quoted were DR.. Walter
r. Miles. professor of psychology at
Yale, and the late DR. Harvey w Wiley,
for years chief chemist of the Agricul-
ture Department.
The "Sixty-f1fth Congress whicn sub
mitted the eighteenth amendment" the
letter continued, by record vote in both
branches rejected amendments which
would have had the effect OF exempting
beer from the prohibition Of that
article.
The investigation of the brewing in
terests in 1918 by Senate committee
showed that the brewing industry bit
terly opposed the prohibition amend
ment with the belief that the eighteenth
amendment was intended 20 prohibit
beer and was not designed to grant to
that industry monopoly Of the liquor
traffic. and certainly the advocates Of
the eighteenth amendment so under
stood it.
The bill passed by Congress does hot
IN terms declare beer of this alcoholic
content to be Notwithstanding. but
seeks through indirect methods Of with
drawing criminal penalties from its
manufacture and Sele to defeat or
thwart the purpose of the first section
OF the amendment which the Supreme
Court Of the United States declared
Congress could not do"
Howard Attacks Bill.
The constitutionallty of the beer bill
also was attacked last night in an open
letter to the President from Clinton NJ
Howard. chairman of the National
United Committee for Law Enforcement
He said the measure, as passed, "ex-
ceeds your recommendation and the
provision of the Democratic platform
as of such alcoholic content as is per-
missible under the Constitution
He said Mr. Roosevelt had captured
the support Of the Nation, hut that
signing of the bill will lose to you that
needed united confidence and support
and prove a moral affront to the Chris
tian population of the Nation"