Show j cj E Nations Nation's Highest Court Rears Hears 4 s F Legal Attack On on Pr Prohibition Law L u fiNAl W WET T BA BATTLE IS I STAGED TA O I. 11 to S Supreme preme Court H Hears af Direct Attack on tl the National Amendment it fI fIand and Enforcement A t WASHINGTON March 8 8 r rT r rW vv W T The e v validity of const constitutional constitutional prohibition is is being fought out ut in a legal battle of attorneys attorneys' for f the e federal government th the V dry dy states the wet states and liquor orr p Interests rests rests' In th the th t e rne court today decision Is is' A not ex i pe ted b bore before ApiH ar or r la ater er i 4 One of ot the greatest attacks ev ever i if 4 made nade de on any statute br or r part pari of or the constitution ha has hal been directed against the dry laws by the It has drawn a a. Vigorous defense of prohibItion prohibition tion from the federal government and aid dry organizations J FROM MANY ANGLES The issue today centers S on n wl whether prohibition is js a valid subject for tor a a amendment to the constitution c a aw whether w ether the law e the amendment is constitutional Probably twenty five angles of attach Jj ha have e beep been launched a against I st t the r rt t STATE RIGHTS f The contests over prohibition t have e developed into a a. legal legal battle between betwee various states and between the fet fe feti t i eral government The Issue is In rea ity state rights and bears a a striking v similarity to the historic question o of Civil war days days' In fact one of ot the th briefs for the liquor interests s declare declara t the issue now before the court Is more nore Imp Important than the famous ramous Dred Scott decision which upheld states states' rights before the war RHODE ISLANDS ISLAND'S FIGHT The lineup In the court today finds Rhode Island vigorously contesting constitutional prohibition while opposed opposed op op- posed to it are the federal government govern govern- l ment twenty-one twenty prohibition stat states s' s I represented by Charles E E. H Hughes and nd the Saloon Anti-Saloon league j New Jersey today will ask the court for permission to bring suit similar to t that at of or Rhode Island TWO OTHER CASES i Two cases casl's in addition to the Rt Rhode Island bland suit sult will be heard today ar appeals from Massachusetts l and i i Kentucky federal federa courts which upheld prohibition and which were brought to the the supreme me court by George C C. Dempsey a New England liquor de deal deaI dealer l I er er and the Kentucky Distilleries and nd company Louisville The New Jersey case probably will not be be argued before April 1 and the court cO has tentatively set April 12 as ae the date for argument on appe appeals I Ohio which will determine whether states can by referendum withdraw their ratification of the d dry Y amendment 5 as that state has aIre already dy done z DIR DIRECTING FIGHT f The government Is represented b by i Solicitor General King t t f torne General Frierson backed b by I and Wayne B D. Wheeler of p Saloon eague Herbert A A. Rl V attorney general for Rhode t twill will argue for tor his his' state and n r for th the liquor Interests are are Marshall Bullitt New York Lp Let Mayer 1 Chicago and P P. H H. Fell 1 Boston Loston b J ROOT FILES BRIEF 4 As th the court met Elihu Elihu Ro Root t 0 i tamed permission to file lie a brief r r. the United States Brewers' Brewers a t 01 1 supporting the contentions of pr f Rhode hod island i. i In In his brief brier for tor the brewers Root Roo made the following contentions The so called eighteenth a amend amendment Jm ment will be not within the auth authority vested in congress and the legislatures of or three fourths of or the states by article 5 of or the constitution Article 5 5 of ot the constitution of ot the tha United States doves does not authorize an any amendment which directly or In in prin principle ciple tends to Impair and destroy the reserved governmental powers of ot the several states and their right to local self government It does not app appear ar that two-thirds two of of- the he houses of ot congress deemed this Continued on page 2 r ri FINAL WET BATTLE BATTLE f Continued from page 1 so-called so eighteenth amendment I M I sary The called so-called eighteenth amendment amendment amend amend- amend j ment has not been ratified by three three- fourths of ot the several states I The alleged eighteenth amendment vests vesta concurrent power in the tho several states for tor Its enforcement which has been disregarded by the passage of the law |