Prohibition enforcement is under fire in Washington as stormy Senate hearings reveal shocking conflicts of interest among dry law administrators. Frederick C. Baird, prohibition administrator for western Pennsylvania, disclosed he's drawing both his $500 monthly federal salary AND his regular pay from the Bessemer and Lake Erie railroad, a U.S. Steel subsidiary. Judge Elbert H. Gary, chairman of U.S. Steel's board, had actually recommended Baird for the federal position. Missouri Senator Reed, the lone 'wet' on the five-member committee, found himself continuously outvoted as he cross-examined witnesses and fought for postponement of hearings. Meanwhile, Montgomery's Woman's College of Alabama is launching a major fundraising campaign, with local civic clubs rallying support for the institution's drive to raise $500,000 for endowment and equipment to achieve grade 'A' ranking. Judge William H. Thomas warned that neglecting the college would mean 'a distinct loss to the city,' pointing to other communities like Frederick, Maryland (population 15,000) that raised $110,000 for Hood College, and Mobile, which just raised $603,000 for Spring Hill College two weeks ago.

These stories capture America's schizophrenic relationship with Prohibition in 1926. While lawmakers publicly supported the 'noble experiment,' the hearings exposed the cozy relationships between enforcement officials and private industry—exactly the kind of corruption that was undermining public faith in the law. The revelation that a U.S. Steel executive was essentially drawing two paychecks to enforce Prohibition while maintaining ties to corporate interests symbolized the era's conflicted values. The college fundraising drive reflects the 1920s' massive expansion of higher education, especially for women, as America embraced both prosperity and social progress despite the cultural battles raging over alcohol and traditional values.

• A 100-year-old woman in Providence, Rhode Island, celebrated her birthday by taking her usual morning dose of three teaspoonfuls of whiskey—right in the middle of Prohibition—declaring 'I have had my whiskey for scores of years, so why shouldn't I have it today?'
• The Duke and Duchess of York welcomed a daughter at 1:40 AM on April 21st—this baby would grow up to become Queen Elizabeth II
• Six Coast Guardsmen were charged with accepting $10,000 in bribes from rum runners, with five allegedly taking $2,000 each while the sixth was paid $100 to keep quiet about a $250,000 liquor seizure
• The Chicago and Northwestern Railway just floated an $18.6 million bond issue at just 4.25% interest—remarkably low when most railroad bonds were selling at 5-6.5% rates
• Two men died from a battery explosion on submarine S-49, the sister ship to the ill-fated S-51 which had sunk just seven months earlier with 21 lives lost

• That prohibition administrator drawing dual salaries? His boss Judge Elbert Gary was one of America's most powerful industrialists—U.S. Steel controlled 60% of American steel production and Gary, Indiana was literally named after him
• The newborn royal baby mentioned in a tiny item would become Queen Elizabeth II, ruling for 70 years and becoming the longest-reigning British monarch in history
• Senator Reed of Missouri, the lone 'wet' fighting prohibition enforcement, was a legendary orator who once filibustered for 11 hours straight and would later oppose FDR's court-packing plan
• Those low railroad bond rates signal the mid-1920s economic boom was hitting its peak—within three years, the stock market would crash and railroad financing would become nearly impossible
• The $500,000 Montgomery's Woman's College was trying to raise would be worth about $8.5 million today—a massive sum for a small Alabama city in 1926