Confusion

The prohibition question became involved again in its continual melee by an unexpected turn of events. The Church Temperance Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church, an organization of many years' standing, devoted first to temperance and then to prohibition, last week decided to throw over prohibition and return to temperanceroclaimed a new hero, the Rev. Dr. James Empringham, Secretary of the society.

It was Dr. Empringham who announced the new policy of the society at a meeting in Manhattan. He was formerly National Vice President of the Anti-Saloon League and New York State Superintendent of the Anti-Saloon League. He told that in 1917 his society had sent out a questionnaire to 15,000 members and received responses showing that by far the greater number favored prohibition. He told that about a year ago he set out to write a pamphlet to show that prohibition was a success, but after going about making investigations changed his mind. He sent out a questionnaire to 20,000 members of the society a few months ago and found a great change in sentiment towards modification of the Volstead Act. He declared:

"If ten men on a jury were professional burglars and believed robbery an honorable profession, it would be useless to try a man for robbery.

"We are in favor of a modification of the Volstead Act to permit the sale of beer and wine because: 1) the effect of prohibition has been to put an end to scientific temperance teaching; 2) it has resulted in increased drinking among young people; 3) it has discouraged the consumption of wine and beer and increased the demand for distilled liquors, which today are mostly poisonous; 4) it has brought about disrespect for all laws; 5) it is class legislation discriminating in favor of the rich; 6) it has increased intemperance.

"If the money now spent in a futile attempt at enforcement were added to the revenue we might have from beer and wine, and one-tenth of this sum were spent to educate the people in scientific temperance, it would be more effective toward the physical and moral well-being of our people."

The Rev. Dr. G. A. Carstensen, newly elected President of the society, stood behind his Secretary, saying: "As long as the Volstead Act is there, it is the duty of good citizens to obey it, but I recognize the right of good citizens to ask for modification."

And remarking of the Anti-Saloon League: "Let me be understood clearly. I find that their methods are not distinguished by meticulous regard to limits imposed by facts."

Naturally the prohibitionists were angry at this defection. They declared that the Temperance Society did not represent the Episcopal Church (which is true). They doubted whether the Temperance Society was still in existence; whether it had 20,000 members (Dr. Empringham declared that his society had nearly 100,000 members, although not all were in good standing).

Wayne B. Wheeler, spokesman for the Anti-Saloon League, exclaimed: "It is amazing that a church committee would advocate legislation of beer and light wines. It cannot be done legally without first changing the Constitution of the United States. Their recommendation in this regard is the same as the brewers' and is opposed by the churches who supported the original effort to secure the Eighteenth Amendment.

"The report is especially ill-timed now because Government documents recently issued testify to prohibition's observance, enforcement and good results. The preliminary census of prisoners shows that penal commitments dropped from 521.7 per 100,000 in 1910 (an average wet year chosen by the Census Bureau and not by a dry organization) to 325.1 in 1923, a decrease of 37.7% while commitments for drunkenness fell from 185.9 to 83.1 per 100,000, a decrease of 55.3%. Disorderly conduct commitments dropped 51.5%, assault cases 53.1%, prostitution 28.8%, and malicious mischief 68.8% in that period. These offenses are intimately associated with drink.

"It's only a few years ago that the drunken college student, the university beer night, the reeling youngsters around the punch bowl at the ball, the high-school boys and girls sneaking into the saloon back room and a host of other bacchanalian scenes made the mothers of America sing, 'Where is my wandering boy tonight.'"

The newspapers began polling Episcopal prelates on the question of modification of the Volstead Act. There was a division of opinion, but evidently the strict prohibitionists were in the majority. Out of 24 who answered an inquiry by the New York Times, only five advocated modification. Two other bishops in favor of modification were found by the industrious (and wet) New York World. A few more declined to comment.

Besides the Anti-Saloon League, the Methodist Board of Temperance, the World League Against Alcoholism, the W.C.T.U. and others joined the attack on the stand of the Episcopal Temperance Society.

In the Senate Mr. Edge of New Jersey, ardent wet, asked leave to have the Empringham statement printed in the Record, and Senator Willis of Ohio, ardent dry, said he would not object if Wayne B. Wheeler's answer were also printed.

Mr. Edge: "I would like very much to have Mr. Wheeler's statement added to it, because it seems to me his statement is profoundly ridiculous."

Mr. Willis: "The country can judge of that."

Senator Edge debated with Senator Dill (dry) by radio. Mr. Edge also set out to get a hearing for a modification bill before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Association against the prohibition amendment announced a "face-the-facts" conference to meet in Washington on Feb. 22.

In the Treasury. Meanwhile the Treasury Department after a conference between Lincoln C. Andrews, in charge of prohibition enforcement, and Andrew Volstead,* now a minor legal official (in St. Paul) in the prohibition unit, presented its plans for better enforcement to Congress. A bill was sent by Secretary Mellon to Senator Smpot setting up a Bureau of Prohibition separate from the Internal Revenue Bureau. Other Administrative measures were understood to be in the process of formulations have been convicted of offenses including murder, violation of the Mann white slave act, annoying women, a fake holdup, negligent homicide in connection with the death of a young woman riding with an agent in an automobile, extortion of $40 from a Jewish rabbi, criminal assault and assaulting wife. The total number of prohibition enforcement officers convicted after trial to Dec. 15, 1925, is 129.

"The 916 separated from the Federal Prohibition Service 'for cause' up to Dec. 15, 1925, consisted of 733 prohibition enforcement officers, 11 prohibition agents serving as marines, 46 narcotic inspectors and agents, 61 warehouse agents, 38 clerks, 4 messengers, 2 field supervisors, 3 attorneys, 3 chemists, 1 divisional chief, 1 head of field force, 1 assistant director, 12 directors.

"The offenses responsible for the separations were classified as follows:

"False statements on application, 25; collusion, 5; extortion, bribery or soliciting money, 129; falsification of expense accounts, 88; conspiracy, 64; illegal disposition of liquor and other property, 46; embezzlement, 6; intoxication, 70; dereliction of duty or malfeasance in office, 69; robbery of warehouse, 8; misconduct, 156; violations of National Prohibition act or Harrison Narcotic act, 12; disclosing confidential information, 13; unsatisfactory service and insubordination, 144; acceptance of gratuities, 7; submission of false reports, 21; theft, 11; contempt of court, 6; assault, 11; perjury or subornation of perjury, 6; political activity, 3; misuse of firearms, 3; failure to file income tax return, 1; former criminal record, 1; false pretenses (issuance of worthless checks), 1.

"The Anti-Saloon League, particularly under the administration of Prohibition Commissioner Haynes, exercised great authority in the hiring and discharging of prohibition agents, but the types of agent obtained through the use of political pressure by the league was so low that the greatest corruption resulted."

In the House debate on the appropriation for the coast, John Philip Hill, wet representative from Baltimore, proposed that $14,994,000 be expended for 1,666 new rum-chasers, one for every ten miles of the U. S. 16,666-mile coast line. The proposal was voted down but not before Congressman Upshaw of Georgia, militant dry, waving his crutches had declared: "I am willing to admit that I am afraid of Greeks bearing giftsof the sea. I'd like to give them a chance to pray first, though, because God knows they're not fit to die."

*Mr. Volstead exclaimed to reporters: "I have adopted a rule against giving interviews. I have been held up to ridicule. I say something and it has been twisted. To be fair to all, I don't talk, so what I say cannot be garbled. I got out of public life three years ago, yet I am followed around and hounded.

"Last night my phone bell rang at least 25 times. I don't think I got ten minutes' sleep. Everybody was insisting on interviews."