AMERICAN PROHIBITION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19374, 9 January 1925, Page 5

AMERICAN PROHIBITION

QUESTION OF ENFORCEMENT. DISCUSSION WITH THE PRESIDENT. # UNSAVOURY SCANDALS. Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. WASHINGTON, January 7. (Received Jan. 8, at 9.40 p.m.) The announcement that Judge Ebert Gary (president of the United States Steel Corporation), heading a special committee ot prominent men, will breakfast witli President Coolidge to-morrow morning and discuss the question of law enforcement, especially prohibition, has brought to a head a situation involving the Volstead law which, during the past fortnight, has reaped special prominence, due to two incidents —namely, a suit brought by Congressman Scott against his wife for divorce and a scandal involving Government officials in New Jersey m bootlegging arrests leading to the removal of a United States district attorney and the prospect of the removal of another. Witnesses testifying at the Scott trial alleged that Congressmen in Washington were the greatest violators of the liquor law, many of them bringing automobile# full of liquor to parties, where gambling and licentious practices were rife. Senators and Congressmen, commenting on this testimony, averred the truth of it, and stressed the fact that officials were the greatest offenders against the laws. Representative Upshaw declared that although it was too late to have a congressional investigation this session, which will end on March 4, such an inquiry should be held. Miss Robertson, the, second woman elected to Congress, declared that she saw Congressmen intoxicated, rolling on the floor of the House. Newspaper correspondents say that members of the House of Representatives have been arrested on intoxication charges, but matters have been hushed up. Judge Gary, commenting on the status of prohibition enforcement, declared that disobedience of the laws wag so rife that he feared for the country’s institutions. Mr Wayne Wheeler, of the Anti-saloon League, has called for a strenuous campaign against liquor law offenders. The New Jersey scandal reached peculiar proportions when half of the police force in one city were indicted, but kept on duty, and during the election the' police commissioner was re-elected despite the indictment. The charges were that rumrunners landed liquors under police protection. Senator Borah telegraphed to the Gary Committee that the Eighteenth Amendment gave notice to all the world that the United States would undertake the stupendous task of putting an end to the liquor traffic. He added; “We are entitled to have all other Governments respect this policy and to have them compel their nationals to respect it._ It is quite within the power of the British Government instantly to put an end to the activities of such moral pirates as would co-operate with criminals in this country to violate the law and undermine and destroy the great national policy. It could at least drive them to cover, which would practically destroy the business as it is being carried on. We are entitled to ask the British -Government not to permit her nationals to join an open conspiracy against our Constitution and the maintenance of the law.” Senator Borah pointed out that Britain herself took up just such an attitude when she protested against the subversive influence of the Soviet propaganda typified in the Zinovieff letter.—A. and N.Z. Cable.