MODERATE WETS WIN BY SAFE MARGIN AT POLLS AS NEARLY THREE THOUSAND EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS ON PROHIBITION

Harvard went moderately wet in practically every department of the University in the poll conducted yesterday by the CRIMSON--the Faculty joining the rest of the University in voting in favor of modification of the Volstead Act to permit the sale of light wines and beers, with a total vote of 1471 to 1047. It was distinctly a day of victory for the moderates--the out and out wets succeeding in getting even less for their proposition of repeal of the 18th amendment than did the bone drys for their stand of no change in the laws and more rigorous enforcement.

1800 Wets Swing Tide

Of the 2794 ballots cast an analysis of the vote shows that there were slightly over 1000 drys and almost 1800 of various shades of wetness. Of the 1488 men who favored more rigorous enforcement 493 did so only on condition that it were found impossible either to repeal or modify the present prohibition laws, while the group of 366 men who did not vote at all on the third proposition was composed almost entirely of men who had voted either in favor of repeal or modification, but who did not wish to place themselves in opposition to strict enforcement of existing laws. At a liberal estimate--and allowing for those few drys who seem satisfied with the present situation and voted no on all three propositions--the dry forces do not seem to have been able to marshal any more than 1050. The vote in their strongholds--the Graduate Schools of Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Architecture and Divinity--was very light.

Wording of Ballot Aids Drys

As the ballot was worded it militated against the success of the wets by not offering them any proposition on which they could unite their forces. Even the light wine and beer proposition failed to attract a good many wets who had voted for repeal.