Prohibition is here to stay? Fortunately, this particular commissioner was incredibly wrong. After all, you can have my beer when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers or after I finish drinking it. Whichever comes first.
U.S. May Never Be Bone Dry, Says Kramer, But Believes Prohibition Has Come To Stay
New York and New Jersey Have Not Been Converted, but Pennsylvania Is Coming Into the Fold
WASHINGTON, Jan. 7. — Commissioner John F. Kramer of the Prohibition Enforcement Bureau admits that making America “bone dry” is quite an undertaking.
“It is possible that the country will never be entirely dry,” said the Prohibition boss, “but to all intents and purposes Prohibition has come to stay, and I don’t think even light wines and beers will be legalized.”
Kramer says that New York and New Jersey have not been converted, but in Pennsylvania the unregenerate are showing signs of coming around to Prohibition.
“It seems to go without saying that the law is not approved in New York and New Jersey, but I know from my own information that the State of Pennsylvania, long regarded as one of the ‘wettest’ states in the Union, will likely enact at the present session of the Legislature a law which will make that commonwealth a veritable Sahara Desert.”
The prohibition enforcement office is “no place for a minister’s son,” according to Commissioner Kramer.
“You will appreciate,” he added, ‘that in order to get evidence against a violator of the Prohibition law, we must engage the services of a man who is used to taking a drink. As a general practice, we cannot employ men who are either preachers or Sunday school teachers. It is true, however, that we have working in our force of special agents two former preachers. One of them, a Baptist minister, we regard as the most efficient enforcement officer in our service.”
“How long will it take to make Prohibition effective?” was asked.
“There is no doubt in my mind that it will take a very long time to educate the nation as a whole to the point where it will realize Prohibition is the best thing, although I believe a majority of our people are for Prohibition now. I am talking now about the elimination of everything in the way of a drink that has a ‘kick’ in it.”
Kramer admits he was the town cut-up back in Ohio before he became a convert to Prohibition.
“The trouble with enforcement,” he went on, “is that the average American citizen has not acquiesced in the carrying out of the law and we have had a hostile public press. Everything has been written and spoken to discount such enforcement.”
If there is grafting going on among employees of the prohibition bureau Kramer is blissfully ignorant of it.
“I have a comparatively small force under my supervision,” said the Commissioner, “but so far as my investigation has progressed I can say there has been very little fraud brought to light implicating employees of my bureau.”
Miss Josephine Richardson, employee of the Washington office, implicated by William B. McCoy in his confession following his arrest in New York, is still on duty, Commissioner Kramer said, pending an investigation.
Source: The Evening World. Newspaper. January 07, 1921.
