Nations v. Willebrandt

A million-dollar libel suit last week threatened Mrs. Mabel Walker Willebrandt just when her bank balance was beginning to fatten on the proceeds of her series of newspaper articles on "The Inside of Prohibition" (TIME,, Aug. 12 et seq.). In an instalment which flayed the meddlesomeness of the Anti-Saloon League, she trod on the tender toe of a onetime Prohibition enforcement chief at St. Louis.

One frosty morning in February 1924, Gus Orvel Nations, Chief of Federal dry agents at St. Louis, raided the Griesedieck Brewery, arrested Raymond Griesedieck and 43 employes. The U. S. indicted Brewer Griesedieck, Missouri Beverage Inspector Charles Prather and Heber Nations, Missouri Labor Commissioner, brother of Gus Orvel Nations. Minor offenders were released. Prather pleaded guilty, said he received protection money from Griesedieck, split it with Heber Nations. Twice was Heber Nations tried, twice convicted. Twice the U. S. Court of Appeals upset the verdict, ordered a new trial. He is now waiting his third trial, Griesedieck his first.

Wrote Mrs. Willebrandt: "It was charged that Heber Nations' part in the conspiracy was to keep the brewery advised, through his brother Gus, then chief prohibition officer in St. Louis, when it would be safe to run out the forbidden brew."

Brother Gus last week brought in Washington a libel suit for $1,000,000 damages against Mrs. Willebrandt and Current News Features, Inc., which had syndicated her articles. He said he felt such a charge of official misconduct might injure his reputation. In St. Louis he moved to tie up payments to Mrs. Willebrandt by the Post-Dispatch, though this paper, in publishing her article, had deleted from the sentence quoted above all reference to Gus Nations.

Offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who challenged his facts, Mr. Nations declared:

"The Griesedieck brewery was raided by me upon information furnished me by my brother Heber. . . . When faced with the necessity of prosecuting the brewery officials caught in my raid, she [Mrs. Willebrandt] protected them by releasing 44 men caught redhanded and prosecuted the citizen who made the raid possible. ... At the trial of my brother she challenged every prospective juror .... who believed in Prohibition. . . . When challenged by counsel for the defendant [Heber Nations] to accuse me if she dared, she sat silent. . . ."

Shrewd lawyer that she is, Mrs. Willebrandt continued silent last week, waited to answer Brother Gus in court. Points made during the week in her continuing articles on "The Inside of Prohibition" included:

P: "I do not believe that harsh penalties will ever secure enforcement of ... laws. Yet I actively advocated the passage of the Jones Law."

P: "Human flaws, not legal flaws, have furnished the loopholes through which bootleggers have swarmed."

#182; "It would be folly to deny that the Wets' have made considerable gain in the past few years. . . . The defeat of Governor Smith did nothing to allay the sentiment against Prohibition. Instead it produced what might be called an emotional hangover. . . . The candidacy of Governor Smith was beneficial to the cause of Prohibition. Before he became a candidate the prohibition and temperance organizations had been disintegrating. . . ."

P: "I am well aware that more of the girls and women employed in offices and industry are drinking now than was the case ten years ago. . . . [But] as far as the women of the country are concerned. Prohibition has come to stay."

P: "No great additional sum of money is needed to improve Prohibition enforcement. . . . Quality, not quantity."

P: "Prohibition is NOT being effectively enforced."

P: "There should be one head to determine policies. It doesn't have to be the Department of Justice but certainly control should be centralized somewhere!"

P: "It is a hard, thankless job. . . . There are some who will count me just another 'out' in the game; others will say 'she made a sacrifice hit.' ... As President Roosevelt said: 'Aggressive fighting for the right is the noblest sport the world affords.' "