The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1942-11-28
Slim CHANCE
FOR WARTIME
PROHIBITION
DRYS ADMIT THERE'S BUT
SLIM CHANCE TO PUSH
THROUGH MEASURE DUR
ING THESE TIMES
BY ALEXANDER r. GEORGE
APP Features Writer

WASHINGTON, Nov. 28.-You
can expect a renewal in Con-
gress of the battle over proposed
restrictions on the sale of liquor
in and near military camps, but
it's a good 50-to-1 bet there will
be no nationwide wartime pro-
hibition.
Veteran dry campaigners them
selves say the return of national
prohibition during the war, OF.
soon thereafter, ''just isn't in
the political picture"
The main reason is. that there
isn't prospect, of enough pro-
hibition strength in Congress or
of sufficient voter demand with
in the next few years to bring
about a complete ban on liquor
sales.
The situation today is entirely
different than it was in World
War l. The drys then had a sub
stantial majority in Congress
and q states had adopted state
wide prohibition before the end
of 1917. By 1920, when the 18th
amendment went into effect, 33
states had enacted state prohibit
ton laws. Today the sale of dis
titled spirits is authorized in 45
of the 48 states and beer is legal
lied in all states.
TodaY's Situation Different
Experienced dry leaders say
the time is not ripe for an at
tempt to restore national prohi-
bition. DR.. Edward B. Dun
lord, counsel for the Anti-Sa-
loon League of America, points
out that "a desire for temper
ance on the part of the people in
the states and local communities
must be created before represen-
tatives in the legislatures and in.
Congress can be expected to
translate the form of words into
effective government action"
Deets Pickett. research secre-
tary of the Methodist Board of
Temperance, says: eff there is a
drive on for national prohibition,
l don't know anything about it..
And this organization usually is
aware of such activity.
what the temperance people
want is a reasonable and honest
to prohibition that
will safeguard soldier boys and
expedite the war effort"
The WCTU, at its recent con-
vention, went on record as adj
vocating wartime prohibition of
the manufacture and sale of
liquor. Some experieced mem
bers of the organization, how
ever, favor a scientific program
of education against dissipation
before attempting drastic meas
ures through legislation.
The Senate recently "side-
tracked" by a 1925 vote the pro-
posal by Senator Josh Lee of
Oklahoma, which would ban the
sale of liquor in military camps
and in adjacent areas. A dry
leader told me: when the Sen
ate by that big a margin votes
to pigeonhole a relatively mild
measure, you can imagine what
would happen to proposal for
nationwide prohibition"
Federal Taxes A Factor
A sizeable barrier to passage
of a wartime bone dry law is
the federal income from excise
taxes on alcoholic beverages.
That income in the last fiscal
year was more than a billion
dollars.
Meanwhile, the drys have
been making progress in the To-
cal option field. The Anti-Sa-
loon League reports they were
victorious in some $3.50 out of
1880 local option elections since
repeal.
League statistics indicate that
some IL states are from about
half to totally dry, excepting the
legalization of beer Kansas, Ok
lahoma and Mississippi have
statewide bans on the sale of
spirits. In Georgia, some 100
out. of. 159 counties are dry for
liquor while in Alabama there