PROHIBITION LAW

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 166, 10 April 1926, Page 9

PROHIBITION LAW

“WET” DRIVE TO SECURE MODIFICATION NUMEROUS PROTESTS OF “DRY” ADVOCATES (Rec. April 9, 7.45 p.m.) Washington, April 8. Anton Cermak, president of the Chicago Board of Commissioners, testified before the Senate prohibition inquiry. He declared that alcoholic patients had enormously increased in the hospital wards since prohibition became effective, and likewise insane alcoholic cases. He stated there was now build-

ing a new and larger gaol, while the appropriations for poverty and pauperism had been greatly augmented. He said there had been a steady increase in the Chicago police department, but still the increase in crime continued.

George Brennan, Democratic political leader, testified that the law had increased drunkenness, immorality, disrespect, corruption, murder, insanity, blindness, and crime in general. He said the sensible and honest thing to do was to modify or repeal this unenforceable statute’, and restore to the States their rights in this field of purely domestic legislation. The drys throughout the United States are preparing to repel the wet drive for a modification of the prohibition law. Hundreds of protests from virtually every State, signed by women’s welfare organisations, Church workers, and business houses, have been presented to the Senate Prohibition Committee, pleading that the law be permitted to stand. Forty women’s Christian temperance unions sent an identical message. They said: "We protest against any modification of the Volstead code.” Many petitions have been telegraphed. Numerous Methodist Churches " liatye sent mimeographed copies of a protest in which the only variation is the name of the church and the number of the congregation. Canadian Cabinet officers have lodged informal, bitter complaints against the smugt-ling of ' American liquor into Canada, to be later resmuggled to the United States as Canadian—Aus.-N.Z Cable Assn.

PUSSYFOOT JOHNSON’S STORY (Rec. April 9, 8.25 p.m.) New York, April 8. The United Press, by permission, publishes extracts from Pussyfoot Johnson’s story, appearing in the "International Cosmopolitan Magazine.” Johnson, describing his jiart in the campaign leading to prohibition, said: “I told enough lies for the cause to make Ananias ashamed of himself.” He declared that he once Ijribed Russian officials to give him information to aid his work. He said: “I' drank gallons in the campaign against liquor.” He denied stories that he ever took human lives during the campaign. He gave the source of such stories. He said: “I like the taste of liquor, but I have never drunk it except for the reasons indicated. I have not had a drink for a dozen years, but I would take a drink right now’ if I thought it would advance the prohibition cause.” Johnson declared that a man's personal habits regarding drink had not prevented his aiding the cause. There were many drinking men amongst supporters of prohibition.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.