Askov American

Bryan to Aid Only Those Who Would Preserve Present Drastic Provisions of Dry Law.

Washington—The prohibition issue, which for several weeks has been practically dropped except in sporadic instances, has suddenly been given a new lease of life, and promises from now on to be a rival of the "slush fund" and league issues in the ensuing campaign.

Two outstanding circumstances have made the move apparent: First, a nation-wide campaign against the dry laws, both as constitutional amendment and Volstead enforcement act has been thoroughly organized and put into operation by the association against the prohibition movement with headquarters in the national capital and in Baltimore; second, William Jennings Bryan has announced that he will practically abandon efforts either to aid the Democrats or defeat the Republicans, and will devote his time and energy from now on to a non-partisan campaign for preserving the present drastic provisions of prohibition enforcement. Furthermore, he is to foster a movement under which impeachment proceedings may lie against any president who fails in enforcing prohibition.

Mr. Bryan has held several long conferences with Wayne B. Wheeler, attorney for the Anti-Saloon League, who was one of the commoner's first callers on his arrival here. One of the subjects it is understood they discussed was the proposal that the government buy up all whisky now in bond as a further measure of dry enforcement. It may be stated upon high authority that this proposal will never see daylight in Congress. One reason for this is the discovery that the present supply of whisky in bond will have been entirely consumed in less than three years, if the present rate of consumption is maintained.

Furthermore it has come to light that several distilleries which suspended operations when prohibition went on the statute books, have resumed the production of whisky. One distillery, which had a large stock of aged whisky in bond, and which was regarded at one time as a practical total loss, has changed its policy, and in the last few months has produced 250,000 additional gallons of whisky.