Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-03-08
Woodcock Puts Responsible
ity for Closing Places on
Local Authorities.
CUT IN APPROPRIATION
GIVEN AS CAUSE FOR STEP
Director of Prohibition Declares
Dry Agents Will Devote Efforts
to Sources of Liquor.

The Prohibition Bureau today trans
ferred to local authorities in the States
the problem Of speakeasies and decided
henceforth to concentrate Federal en-
forcement activities on major sources
Of liquor supply.
Col. Amos w. w. Woodcock, director
OF prohibition, in announcing the new
policy, explained that economy pro-
visions in the new appropriation bill.
restricting purchase of liquor for evi-
dence and pay of informers, and elimi-
mating overlapping, have necessitated
the change.
Expressing the opinion the ban on
liquor purchases by prohibition agents
seeking evidence, will make it virtually
impossible for the bureau to be effec-
tive against speakeasies in most juris-
dictions," Col. Woodcock declared the
bureau must conf1ne itself almost en-
tirely," to graduating the manufacture
er and transporter.
Believed Good Move.
The revised policy, he said, is prob
ably good thing In the long run, be-
cause it will tend to focus attention
upon the responsibility of local authori-
ties upon speakeasies and similar viola
tons and make our work more effective
by fixing a more definite objective"
While the legislative restrictions do
not become effective until July !. when
the new fiscal year starts, the director
said it seemed desirable" to follow the
intent of Congress without further de-
lay. The restrictions were made effec-
tive by special order of the director on
March 3, Woodcock disclosed. The an
nouncement today gave the first inter-
probation Of the restriction to directly
affect the speakeasy.,
Appropriation Bill Provisions.
In his statement. the director quoted
these paragraphs from the appropria-
ton bill for the bureau:
That no part Of this appropriation
shall be used for or in connection with
wire tapping to procure evidence of
violations of the national prohibition
act, as amended and supplemented:
That no funds hereby appropriated
shall be used for the purchase of in
| toxicating liquors which are consumed
by the investigator or any one with him,
nor to pay informers, nor for the pur-
chase OF evidence except that the
director Of prohibition may authorize
| as the payments of rewards for infor-
nation of major violations Of the law"
In making the bureaus operations
! conform at once with the wishes Of
Congress" Col. Woodcock pointed out
that he had in mind not only the
principle involved" but the fact that
cases made now probably could not be
tried before July /.
Declares overlapping" Limited.
"A great deal has been said about
overlapping, the director stated.
The present method was approved by
| the House Committee on Expenditures
In the executive departments in Feb
! ruary of 1881. 1t was used exclusively
against the larger syndicate operations,
| and out of total of over 10000 cases
made during the last fiscal year, in
upon its use will, therefore, affect only
our operations against the larger syn
dicates 1t will be problem to find
| an adequate substitute for it,
The restriction on pay of informers,
he said, Is not expected to affect the
| Federal operations to any appreciate
degree. Some change will be neces-
sary in enforcement methods in the
| District of Columbia, he pointed out,
as the bureau has been paying inform
ers used exclusively by the local police.
| Col. Woodccck defined the ban on
| purchase of evidence as preventing bu-
reau agents from buying any intoxicat-
| ing liquors, whether it is consumed or
! saved for evidence, He said the only
| evidence ever purchased in the past
has been liquor.
In the old days Of enforcement"
| Woodcock commented, there were un-
| doubtedly abuses in respect to the
| purchase and consumption of intoxi-
| eating liquor. In September. 1881, I
made an order which prohibited the
consumption >of any Intoxicating liquor
| unless previous efforts to obtain evil
| dence had failed, and unless the con-
sumption had been approved by the
administrator in advance"
Explains Operation.
| Col. Woodcock described how the
| statutory restrictions would operate to
prevent Federal action against speak,
easies.
There have been two methods in
/ speakeasies," he said. "One is the
observation method and the other, the
| method of the investigator making q
purchase himself In the observation
method, the investigator goes into the
! speakeasy and reports what he has
seen. I have never understood why
this method would not be effective in
any court The fact is, however, that
| it is effective in only few jurisdic-
tons
II think. therefore, that the effect
Continued on Page 2, Column -