Shouse For Curran

Because Prohibition is a matter of politics and politics is a matter of propaganda, horsey, fun-loving Jouett Shouse, ablest of political propagandists, was last week named president of the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment. His selection was announced by rich, precise Pierre Samuel du Pont, chairman of A. A. P. A.'s executive committee. Major Henry Hastings Curran, the Association's president for the past five years, was made vice chairman of the board.

Early in 1929 John Jacob Raskob, to revive the defeat-shattered Democracy, put Mr. Shouse in charge of the party's Washington headquarters. For three years Democrat Shouse directed an effective drumfire of criticism upon the Republican administration. He, more than any oilier individual, was responsible for the fact that the House went Democratic after the 1930 election. G. O. Partisans blamed him for what they called the ''Smear Hoover" campaign. A Raskobite, he was eclipsed by the rise of the Roosevelt candidacy, denied the permanent chairmanship of the Chicago convention (TIME, July 4 & n). Politically jobless under the Democratic regime of Chairman Farley, he was really put into his 'new berth last week by Mr. Raskob, heaviest individual A. A. P. A. contributor.

As Wet leader, Major Curran was warmly praised for having carried the Repeal fight successfully through the two Chicago conventions. Mr. Shouse's job henceforth is to elect enough Wets to the 73rd Congress to secure passage of a Repeal resolution and to press its ratification by the States. His political skill and personal contacts amply qualify him. With political if not legislative victory in sight, Mr. Shouse began looking forward temperately to "what is to be done after Repeal is accomplished."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.