National Affairs: Unborn Blossom

The National Law Enforcement Commission, after a four-month holiday, went to grips again with Prohibition last week. As its eleven members gathered in Washington, Chairman George Woodward Wickersham, all a-twinkle with good humor, remarked to curious newsmen: “You never can tell what kind of blossom will bloom until the plant develops.”

The Commission’s only blossom in the three subsequent days of its Washington meeting was dissension over the scope of its inquiry. One group of Commissioners wanted to go to what Commissioner Mackintosh called the “guts” of Prohibition— i. e., the enforceability of the 18th Amendment. Other commissioners wished to examine only the skin, study only enforcement procedure. When, after the first day’s wrangle, Chairman Wickersham again received newsmen, his spirits seemed less buoyant. Guardedly he declared:

“Prohibition is one of the main, if not the main problem we must deal with. . . . To stop by the wayside and discuss publicly what we think or don’t think would be foolish. … I hope we will have some definite report ready in December [when Congress meets] but that is merely a hope.”

A newsman: “Mr. Chairman, you are regarded as liberal-minded on this matter —to be frank, a Wet.”

The Wickersham whiskers curled into a grin as their wearer replied:

“That’s unfortunate. I don’t think I’m a Wet. You might better say—moist. … If Prohibition proves unenforceable, this Commission should say so.”

Next day the Commission’s deadlock remained unbroken. Chairman Wicker-sham’s good humor deserted him. He shouldered his way home through a blockade of newsmen with a curt “nothing to say.”

Because of the Commission’s secretiveness Washington quickly became choked with rumors and reports as to what its conclusions would be. Most Washington correspondents agreed that the Commission, though disappointed in Prohibition, would not favor repeal of the 18th Amendment but would possibly recommend to President Hoover some modification of the Volstead Act to legalize beer and wine.