Evening star., 1933-01-08

Of the country"
Cannon Enters Protest.
Cannon took the stand Unexpectedly,
iust as Chairman Blaine was announc-
ing adjournment of the hearing He
protested that the bill would be uncon-
Stitutional because sit would permit
traffic in Intoxicating beer"
Others who testified against the bill
were: Edward B. Dunford Andrew Will
son and Robert H, McNeill, all of WASH
ington, representing the National Con-
ference of Organizations Supporting the
Eighteenth Amendment; Mrs. Henry w.
Peabody. chairman of the Woman's
National Committee for Law Enforce
ment; Mrs. William T. Bannerman Of
the National Congress of Parents and
Teachers. and Mrs Jesse w. Nicholson
of the Woman's National Democratic
Law Enforcement League.
Emphasizing his points with frequent
gestures, Dunford said the bill was
"squarely in conflict with the spirit and
purpose of the eighteenth amendment,
since it undertakes to legalize and IL
cense an Intoxicating beer"
He and the other prohibitionists pre-
dicted it would be declared unconstitu-
tional by the Supreme Court if enacted
into law.
Blaine suggested to Dunford that
Congress could refrain from passing
any legislation to enforce the eighteenth
amendment and be within its con-
Stitutional rights.
Obligation Is Cited.
"There is an obligation to enact leg
! islation to carry out the purpose OF
I the amendment" Dunford replied. 81
didn't suppose it was the purpose of
the committee to see how far it could
get away from the Constitution"
Dunford agreed Congress had the
right to decided what is intoxicating,
but said it must be reasonable.
Mcneil was asked if Congress could
raise the one-half of ! per cent limita-
ton in the Volstead act without violat-
ing the Constitution.
ANY reasonable limit fixed on the
basis of those least tolerant to stand
the effects of the beverage would be
constitutional" he replied, "but not if
it is a content that leaves the people
at the mercy of a law written solely
to protect those best able to with
stand its effects
The women chiefly confined their tes-
timony to the effects of beer on chill
Cren.
Whether 4 per cent beer is intoxi-
eating to the average man or men,
Peabody said. 'The people represented
by you directly and indirectly include
women and children, often forgotten
by the average politician, but repre-
senting two-thirds majority of the peo-
pie of the United States"
Tells Of Tests on Children.
She told the committee of tests OF
the effect of alcohol on children to
prove that even small percentage was
harmful to them.
Mrs. Peabody quoted from studies OF
Prof. Walter Miles Of Yale University
and DR.. Haven Emerson in connection
with the Erlacher tests in Germany
seven years ago to show that alcohol
is harmful to children.
DR.. Miles said the Erlacher tests on
children under IA years of age showed
deterioration in their performance
ranged from As per cent to 7.8 per
cent of their non-alcoholic perform
ance"
Beck argued that the eighteenth
amendment plainly provided that Cen
gress has the right to prescribe the per-
missab,e alcoholic content Of liquor"
Scripture Quoted by Beck.
Although this power is not unlimited.
he said, it is confined only to the
boundaries CT the reasonable field"
"The Supreme Court would give the
greatest respect to any declaration OF
Congress on the subject" he said, land
any finding would be accepted that was
not plainly arbitrary or capricious."
Although Beck agreed that person
could get drunk on 80 per cent beer
under extreme circumstances. he said
sit is not intoxicating within the mean
ing Of the eighteenth amendment and
would be accepted by the court as
within legislative discretion"
Quoting the scriptural saying that
swine maketh glad the heart OF man"
Beck said there is pathological re-
action to everything we take" and as
serted intoxicated" meant much more
than a small pathological reaction.
Election Mandate Denied.
Beer of 80 per cent strength is used
all over the world without bad effect,
Beck said. He cited the stamina of
the German and French people.
And yet" he added, the French
peasant would be amazed if you asked