Headmen

Sir Ronald Lindsay, Britain's new headman in the U. S., last week filed with the State Department a request to import a large stock of rare wines, vintage champagnes, old whiskies, brandies. U. S. Wets cheered what they took for a change of policy. Fact was that Sir Ronald was simply deciding for himself a question which his predecessor, Sir Esme Howard, had handled with a gesture. The British Embassy has never actually "gone dry." Toward the end of his term Sir Esme Howard, perceiving there was enough to last until he should be gone, merely announced that he would import no more liquors, an announcement which was permitted to appear as a compliment to President Hoover. The new British Ambassador purposes to build up a large and hospitable stock in the cellar of the new embassy now nearing completion on upper Massachusetts Avenue.

Last week the Prohibition attitudes, known or surmised, of other No. 1 Men in Washington were dredged up as the Senate Lobby Committee continued its inquiry into the private correspondence of the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment. On the witness stand was smooth, chunky Capt. William H. Stayton, A. A. P. A. founder and board chairman, who had his letters read aloud to him.

Letter: "As a matter of fact six out of the ten men in Mr. Hoover's Cabinet believe personally that Prohibition is a failure. . . . Of course they are not going to help us but it is rather heartening. . . . The six I had in mind--Mr. Stimson [Secretary of State] who had just come from the Philippines where the country is Wet, Mr. Davis [Secretary of Labor] who in a published book said that the matter of liquor for men who worked in high temperatures ought to be changed. Mr. Lament [Secretary of Commerce] who had been one of the directors of our association, Mr. Mellon [Secretary of the Treasury] who is certainly counted as being against the law, Mr. Brown [Postmaster General] who is wet, and Mr. Adams [Secretary of the Navy] who I think is opposed to the law though of course he doesn't drink."

Reaction: Secretary Stimson vaguely denied that Capt. Stayton spoke with authority. Secretary Adams declared: "There's no justification for that statement." Secretary Lament explained: "There's no foundation for the statement. I resigned [from A. A. P. A.] before joining the Cabinet and have not discussed the subject since." Secretary Davis, as part of his Pennsylvania senatorial campaign, declared: "There never should be any doubt on my stand on the Prohibition question. I don't see how I can decently say that I favor anything other than the law. I'm heartily in accord with President Hoover's views on the subject." Secretary Mellon and Postmaster General Brown refused to comment.

Letter: "From what I hear, Mr. Hoover has made up his mind that . . . a Dry will always scratch from the ticket a man who does not do lip service to the Dry cause. . . . Mr. Hoover believes the Wets are of a different temperament and he thinks he can get votes from the Wets without espousing their cause and therefore as a matter of vote getting he had better take the Dry side. If he were sincerely a Dry, one might hope to convince him by argument, but as I know that he is not at heart a Dry, I fear I must approach the conclusion that he is a Dry because of the prospective profit in votes and that nothing that has to do with right or wrong will make any impression upon him. . . . That particular part about votes I got from [New York's Wet onetime] Senator Wadsworth. He thought we must approach Mr. Hoover on the ground of a politician out for votes."

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