Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 April 1919 — DRY LAW WILL BE ENFORCED [ARTICLE]

DRY LAW WILL BE ENFORCED

Government Purposes a Literal Enforcement of the Prohibition Act. STATEMENT BY U.S. COUNSEL Declares Half the World la Looking to America for Food and the Necessity for Confcrvation Is Great. New York, April 25.—The government purposes a literal enforcement of the war-time prohibition act. including a ban on production and sale of all beers and wines, whether or not they are intoxicating, the department of justice announced through iF special representative in the federal court here. While no steps will be taken to prevent brewing, pending a court determination of the law’s. constitutionality raised by brewers of the New York district, manufacturers will operate In peril of future prosecution, according to the statement of William C. Fitts, special counsel appearing for Attorney General Palmer In the beer litigation. Beer's Strength Not Issue. The attorney advised Judge A. N. Hand, who heard arguments on the government’s motion to dismiss the suit brought on behalf of the national brewing Interests by the Jacob Hoffmann Brewing company to restrain the federal authorities from interfering with its production of 2% per cent beer, that the department of justice did not know and did not care whether beer of the strength indicated was Intoxicating. The law prohibited sale after June 30 of distilled beverages as well as manufacture after April 20 and sale after June 30 of "beer, wine and other intoxicating malt or vinous liquors for beverage purposes,” pending the demobilization of military forces, he said. Food Held Vital. The words “beer” and “wine” were not qualified, in the opinion of the government, he added, and the apparent congressional intention to stop the “waste” of grains and fruits in their production in any strength would be enforced. With “half the world” looking to America for food, Mr. Fitts contended, the necessity of Its conservation was greater “even than on the day of Chateau Thierry,” and it was equally essential that liquors be withheld from public sale while the army and navy were undergoing demobilization. To this statement Judge Hand added his opinion that the war was “still in progress," which upset one of the complainant’s contentions.