"Face the Facts"

Washington is a versatile hostess. Her salon welcomes coats of many colors. Two weeks ago she opened her arms to the 30th Jubilee of the Anti-Saloon League (TIME, Jan. 28). Last week she shook hands with the "Face-the-Facts" Conference of the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment.

The chief political figures in the Anti's firmament were Senator Bayard of Delaware and Senator Bruce of Maryland, both Democrats, and Representative John Philip Hill of Maryland, Republican. Besides the regular sessions of the Conference, there was a dinner at which Representative Hill toastmastered and the two Senators spoke, advocating modification of the Volstead Act to permit the Government, without the reincarnation of the saloon, to sell regulated amounts of alcoholic beverages for home consumption (a system similar to that in force in various parts of Canada).

A delegation called on the President and told him "the members of these associations stand absolutely for law and order. We believe in the impartial execution of law as the preservation of the citizens' liberty. We believe also that experience has shown that existing laws should be modified."

The President's reply was not made public, but it is understood to have endorsed the Association's stand for law enforcement, without mentioning modification of the Volstead law.

Before adjourning the Conference issued a public declaration: "The 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act constitute an attack upon the consistency and the integrity of the Constitution. At present abnormal conditions are fostered by the attempt to limit the liberty and pursuit of happiness of our people. At present the law considers as criminal, acts which the consciences of many citizens find harmless or approve. The present law, apparently by design, discriminates between the rich and poor and between the seller and the purchaser of forbidden liquor."

The meeting of the Association aroused its opponents in the House of Representatives to denounce it as having "the avowed purpose of nullification of the 18th Amendment," as in "close liaison with the liquor interests."