Evening star., 1933-10-10

appearing in The Star undeT the
title, "Atter RepedEWhdt"
This article summarizes sections OF
a study OF the problem OF liquor con-
troll soon to be published under spon-
sorship OF John d. Rockefeller, Jr.
The study 1DGs conducted by Ray
mond B. Fosdick and Albert B. Scott
Reference to this study and some OF
its findings haze previously been
contained in newspaper dispatches
from NeiD York, but the article be-
lop attempts to 90 into more detail
than the daily dispatches. Other
conclusions from this study tDill dp-
pear later in The Star.
Bone-dry State prohibition is not IA
vorable to stringent regulation Of bev.
erages of high alcoholic content.
This IS one conclusion arrived at by
the Rockefeller study, after survey Of
conditions which will exist at the enc
of national prohibition.
Supporting this conclusion are the
arguments that prohibition can be g
success only where there is IAN over.
whelming majority in favor Of this type
Of control" and that even a small IT.
reconcilable minority can give birth tt
Passage Of the twenty-flrst amend
ment, the report points out, will leave
local prohibition operating in 80 States
despite marked trend away from State
prohibition, which, since January
1882, has resulted in five States repeal
ing dry clauses in their constitutions
and five others resembling their prohi-
bition statutes. In eight more conSti-
tutional referenda are scheduled during
1888 and 1884
Some States t. Stay Dry.
But it is safe to say" the report as
sertS. that procedural obstacles stand
ing in the way Of a change will be
enough to keep some States legally dry
for many months after the passage Of
the twenty-first amendment"
The amendment contains two clauses
The first repeals the eighteenth amend
ment, and the second forbids the trans.
portation Of intoxicants into any State
for delivery or use in violation Of the
laws of that State.
consequently" says the report, "pro.
hibition, in so far as it is established
in State laws or State constitutions
will not be eradicated by adoption ol
the new amendment. Instead, the
power of dry State to exclude liquol
shipments, previously protected only by
act of Congress. will be given the added
sanction OF an express constitutions
guaranty. No change hereafter in thu
temper Of Congress can deprive dry
States of the right to stop liquor ship.
ments at their borders. right which
received its first statutory recognition
only 20 years ago.
Must Modify Constitutions.
I'm spite Of the adoption of the
twenty-first amendment, prohibition viii
continue to operate in over half thu
States. In almost one-third, IA II
number, resort must be had to the diff
ficult process of modifying the State
constitution before the sale Of alcoholic
beverages can be legalized"
Under the right circumstances. it Is
said, prohibition legislation in the States
may achieve some degree of success in
making intoxicants hard to obtain
thereby removing temptation from the
young and from persons disposed to
alcoholic excesses."
Then follows the statement in the re-
port: Three Of our States found 1t a
sufficiently good principle to govern
their policies for many decades"
The varied nature of prohibition laws
which have existed in the States is en-
phaSized. Seldom If ever, according to
the study, has all use Of alcoholic bever-
ages been banned, even laws generally
restricting manufacture. sale or trans
portation usually containing exceptions.
Wines and Beer Permitted.
Private and commercial manufacture
OF wines, beers and cider customarily
have been permitted; under all but the
dryest laws, medicinal sale has been
legal; many dry States have allowed
importation by the package from out
side the State, and the prohibition
principle has been modified in many
other ways.
IF an uncompromising bone-dry pro-
hibition is attempted" says the report,
failure to marshal preponderant
sentiment behind it will, we believe, ad-
NIT all the abuses which have recently
been experienced under the national
regime Each State is familiar with the
peculiar manifestations of these abuses
within its borders"
Any State which retains prohibition
will, If it is wise, adapt its statute to
what it can reasonably enforce, the re-
port declares. Nothing is to be gained
by passing a law which serves merely
to satisfy the consciences of those re-
Sponsible for it," the report points out
as trulsm, and continues:
Before 1919 it was often contended
that the wet States failed in their
responsibility to adjoining dry States
and there was much to support the
charge. The outlook at present is for
reduction of the field occupied by
Statewide prohibition. If in the END
few dry strongholds remain, they
should not forget that they also have q
responsibility to the States in which
intoxicants are legally obtainable.
Paradise for Bootleggers.
UNLESS past experience is reversed
such surviving dry areas will become a
paradise for bootleggers. Operating
from there as a base, the illicit traffic
should not be allowed to run cheap, in
ferior liquor into the neighboring wet
States for sale in competition with the
legal, but perhaps higher priced, article
ANY one who regards this as an
illusory danger will do well to examine
the efforts Of the Canadian provincial
governments to prevent invasion by
American bootleggers selling tax-free
liquor.
In view of the widespread evils
which followed the adoption of the
eighteenth amendment, we frankly are
not impressed with the possibilities Of
prohibition as method of control, ever
in individual States. We believe in
stringent regulation of beverages of high
alcoholic content. We do not believe
that such regulation is possible under
strict form OF prohibition. Moreover
the by-products of prohibition in terms
of law defiance represent too great q