N.W.D.L.E.L. v. W.O.F.N.P.R.

Women got excited on both sides of Prohibition in Washington last week. The only things the National Woman's Demo- cratic Law Enforcement League and the Women's Organization For National Prohibition Reform had in common were: the awkward length of their names, an intense belief that liquor would be the paramount 1932 issue, a visit to the White House.

The N. W. D. L. E. L. met under the energetic presidency of Maryland's plump Mrs. Jesse W. Nicholson. She flayed all Wet Democratic presidential possibilities, warned everyone within earshot that her women would bolt their party as they did in 1928 if a Dry were not nominated. Of New York's Governor Roosevelt she said: "This candidate, while mentally qualified for the presidency, is utterly unfit physically.* He has failed to show the kind of leadership we want in our President by his vacillation and dilatory tactics. . . . Let us not be trapped or betrayed by any such high-sounding phrases as States' rights. Let us ask 'Is it States' rights or States' wrongs?' "

Exultantly Mrs. Nicholson led her band of 200 Democratic Drys to the White House. There she introduced them to President Hoover as "constitutional Democrats, many of whom have come a long way to see a constitutional President." The President stood before his desk, shook hands with every woman who filed by. He kept repeating: "Very pleased to see you . . . very pleased to see you . . . very pleased to see you."

Next day 1,100 delegates of the W. 0. F. N. P. R., representing a membership of 300,000 women Wets in 31 States, met under the chairmanship of New York's smart, determined Mrs. Charles Hamilton Sabin.

Because President Hoover is rated as a thoroughgoing Dry, none of the Wet delegates was surprised when Mrs. Sabin first announced that her organization would not call at the White House. Hearing this the President's aides became excited, far it would never do, they thought, for the White House to welcome the Drys only to be cut by Wets. Besides, the W. O. F. N. P. R. was more important socially and financially than the N. W. D. L. E. L. Therefore word was passed unofficially to the Wet convention that the President would be glad to see them.

But half the delegates considered it hypocritical to call on a President so hostile to their principle of Prohibition repeal. Therefore Mrs. Sabin and Mrs. Courtlandt Nicoll, the organization's secretary, could muster only 534 Vets for the march to the White House. Mrs. Nicoll carried a W. 0. F. N. P. R. resolution petitioning the President and Congress to resubmit the 18th Amendment to the States. This she handed to the President.

"Thank you. I am very glad to have it," replied the President as with a characteristic little nod of his head he took the document. The Wet delegates then lined up and went filing past the President as he stood before his desk. The soft Hoover hand shook 534 times and 534 times the Hoover formula of welcome was repeated : "Very pleased to see you . . . very pleased to see you . . . very pleased. . . ."

From a distance and with a hostile Dry eye Mrs. Nicholson watched Wet Mrs. Sabin's convention. When it was over she publicly challenged Mrs. Sabin to debate Prohibition with her. She said: "No one could see your meetings and not be im pressed with the number of women of wealth present. May we ask you how many of these have felt the pinch of poverty that goes with liquor or who will be the victims if the saloon, or any other place where liquor is openly dispensed, comes back? Are we not right in saying that it is not the protected women of wealth but the women who toil who will suffer?"

Mrs. Sabin had returned to New York, gone to bed with a bad cold when she received Mrs. Nicholson's challenge. She would have gladly accepted it, she said, had she been given sufficient notice. To the Dry leader she replied: "You express dread of liquor 'openly dispensed.' Am I to understand that the fact that at present liquor is being secretly dispensed the length and breadth of the country is a matter of indifference to you? I cannot help but be amused by your other state- ments. . . . Why is it that Prohibitionists refuse to discuss conditions as they are today?"

*Apparently Mrs. Nicholson was referring to Governor Roosevelt's paralyzed legs.

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