VOLSTEAD AND REPEAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 302, 22 December 1933, Page 6

VOLSTEAD AND REPEAL.

An American newspaper correspondent, in liscussing the attitude of the author of the vorld-renowned Volstead Act towards the epeal of prohibition in the United States, vrites as follows: To Andrew Volstead, 'Father" of the National Prohibition Act, November 7, whicjh saw prohibition killed at he -polls, was a day just like any other. If Volstead were disturbed by the collapse of the 'dry" regime he gave no evidence of such a eeling in words or actions. He would lave you know, this tall, spare man, who esembles a cartoonist's version of a "dry," ;hat he does not want to play any part in jost-mortems on prohibition. "Anything I night say would do no good," said Volstead. 'It would just bring ridicule on me. If I lalled prohibition a mistake there would be an iwftil uproar. If I defended prohibition the ither side would be after me." Volstead wa. asked to suggest legislation lecessary with liquor's return. "Isn't it a bregone conclusion?" he answered. "Any egislation passed will satisfy the wettest wet.' You are going to have saloons, anyway. '. suppose, however, they must go through orins of legislation." Volstead wanted it understood that, so fails the. public is concerned, the institution for vhich his name beeam« the synonym was only iomething in which he took a passing interest. le did waver slightly to say, "Of course, no aw was ever enforced perfectly." It was a convincing showing of indifference to prohibition's ate which Volstead made. He did not even isten to the radio returns of' the voting which inally killed prohibition. "I am not eveh a he said.