Andrews Assailed

Before General Lincoln C. Andrews was called before the Committee (TIME, April 19) he was warned to guard his statements, for anti-saloon officials were waiting for his official scalp. Why, no one knew. He is certainly no friend of the Wets.

In two days of stiff cross-examination he said little to give comfort to the Wets, and it was supposed that, this time at any rate, he had escaped the disfavor of the Dry high priests.

He further established himself as a vigorous enforcer by sending to Congress a prepared statement promising virtual extinction of present liquor supply if the $3,000,000 additional requests by President Coolidge were granted. And he outlined plans for a border patrol of 12 000 men to keep out Canadian liquor.

Then suddenly last week a clamor went up from the Drys for General Andrews' removal. Why? What had he done, left undone? How had he sinned against the spirit of the Drys? This is what happened: The General was called back again before the committee to amplify certain complicated figures which he had previously presented. All went well with him until Senator Reed, mighty Missourian, began to quiz him in tones now jocular, now earnest. The Senator tried to get him to admit that some of the "light wine and beer bills" would, if passed, solve the enforcement question. The General refused to make any such admission. Then the Senator got to putting hypothetical questions, hedged about with hypothetical qualifications. Finally the Senator produced this Homeric question:

"Now, as I understand you, General, your opinion is this, that particularly in view of the bad quality of hard liquor that is now sold in this country, if beer, healthful beer, could be manufactured, a beer that is non-intoxicating in fact to the average person, and distributed by the Government under regulation, not allowed to be sold in saloons or public places, or drunk upon the premises, the people would take to the drinking of that sort of beverage instead of drinking the vile hard liquor that we now have, and that it would promote temperance and would aid you in suppressing the illicit still and the bootlegger?"

The General paused, breathed heavily. Hushed was the room. He replied: "The answer is that I do believe it would be helpful."

That was all. The mighty Missourian had not got much--just a wee bit. But the ink was not yet dry on the "extras" when General Andrews was being shaped in the public eye as John Barleycorn Redivivus. Quoth, for example, Senator McKellar of Tennessee:

"I had hoped that General Andrews was really trying to do his duty but his own evidence before the committee makes it absolutely certain that he has no sympathy with the law and of course he has not really been trying to enforce it. . . .

"The administration of the liquor laws should be taken out of the hands of Secretary Mellon, but we can't possibly expect that to be done, unless we have a Democratic congress."

"Down with him," flashed to Congress and the White House.

But there was one Dry big enough not to be perturbed. That was the President. He let it be known that he considered that professional Drys had gratuitously twisted General Andrews' words, had placed upon them entirely improper and unreasoning interpretations.