Evening star., 1935-12-05
NEW WAR RAGING
|. ON LIQUOR ISSUE
Broadside Argument for Re-
zeal as Success Meets
Dry Crusade"
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The historic controversy over prohi-
bition ragged again today, the second
anniversary of the repeal of the
eighteenth amendment.
One side praised repeal as a sue
cess. The other, disagreeing sharply,
predicted q comeback for prohibition
While w. H. stayton, executive d.
rector of Repeal Associates, and others
contended there had been a marked
decline in lawlessness, the Anti-Sa-
loon League Of America began a new
crusade" for prohibition.
Saying President Roosevelt should
condemn violation" of his pledge
that the saloon would never return. the
league convention in st. Louis also de-
manded abolition of the ''use of intox-
icants at all White House and public
functions"
In the absence of President Roose-
welt there was no immediate comment
here today. 1t was recalled that &C
counts of formal White House func-
tions have told of the serving Of light
American vintage wines. Beer has
been served at some informal gather
ings.
Friends of President and Mrs. Roose-
welt said they are known almost as tee
totalers and that they never drink OF
serve strong liquor.
al States Now "Wet."
In an interview Stayton looked back
over the last year, which saw Il
States Join the ranks of those which
permit legal sale. the number nov
stands at Al. as compared with 1s
before prohibition.
"In the States where local contro
Of the trafic has been established,
Stayton said, poison alcohol deaths
are now practically unknown, boot
Logging is diminishing, and the State:
are receiving large portion of the
revenue which, during national pro-
| hibition, went to support bootleggers
and their associated criminals"
Disagreeing, F. Scott Mcbride, su-
perintendent Of the Anti-Saloon
League, declared re-opening Of the
liquor trafic had been a miserable
failure"
A league resolution attacked what
were termed the tragic results of re-
/ peal, the enormous increase in the
sale of intoNcants with the conse-
quent results of increase in drunken
ness, especially in women and youth
the shocking traffic fatalities and the
prevalence of crimes of violence"
Dry Era Predicted.
Mcbride joined Bishop James Can
non, jr., of the Methodist Episcopal
Church South, in predicting a new
dry era by 1945.
James M. Doran, administrator oi
| the Distilled Spirits Institute, con-
tended repeal mad brought definite
improvement in the Nations revenue
with corresponding reduction in
lawleSsness."
Doran promised the liquor industry
would adhere strictly to the new Fed
eral control act. He predicted a tend
ency toward lower prices and i'm
proved quality. Coming reduction in
duties on Canadian liquor is expected
to have a decided effect in this direc-
| tion.
Treasury statisticians said the pub
lie was consuming legal hard liquors
at the rate of only 81 per cent of the
| Reproduction peak. No figures wert
F! available on consumption of boot.
leg"
Doran's organization placed Fedora
revenues from liquor taxes at s199,.
065,824 for the year ended November
30, as compared with $l33, 3,44s,779 fol
the first repeal twelvemonth.
The new Federal Alcohol Admins.
tration, which succeeded the old con
troll set-up outlawed with N. r. A.
observed repeal's second anniversary
by pushing efforts to register al
wholesalers by March and to com.
plete new standards and new brandini
and advertising rules.
OPPOSE RnnSEVEIr