New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-15
Sir Henry f. Randall Begs
Evangelist, Through The
Tribune, to Aid Nation and
Allies by Leading Anti-Drink
Campaign-Country Ahame
for Revival-Sunday to Get
All Receipts.


All Receipts.
by Cab!. 70 rhs Tribune
London, April l4.-Stirred 70 the
highest enthusiasm b. the suggestion
that Billy Sunday De called to Eng
land to conduct the great national bat
tie for prohibition, a committee OF
Great Britan's most prominent busi-
ness men united to-day in q call for
the evangelist to come he-c and open
mis- campaign in Royal Albert Hall
April p.
Late this afternoaa Sir Henry Ed
ward Randall, Engiand's greatest shoe
manufacture and chairman Of the
Business Men, Campaign for Prohibi-
tion in England, sent the following
cable:
BILLY Sunday. care Of New York
Tribune. New York.
Believe you could win prohibition
for Great Britain. The country is
ready. Quarter of million appeals
have been received by David boyd
George. Chancellor Of TIE Exchequer
We propose starting your campaign IN
Albert Hall on April q. The King and
Queen would probably attend. Strong
business men are behind this move
ment. All the receipts would go TO you,
less the organization expenses.
RANDALL"
Plan TO Aid War.
No recent development of the war
and this must be regarded as big war
development-hss so aroused mental
and physical activity among Englands
industrial and government leaders as
this move, which is designed to take
from the grip of alcohol the thousands
Of workmen engaged in making war
supplies for the Allies. Their indul-
gence in liquor has so retarded pro-
duction that Great Britain fears ITS
war success is threatened unless sun
day, by his personal contact campaign,
pulls them away from drinking ana
fires them with a patriotism that VIII
speed up their work.
Soon after the London co aspondehU
Of The Tribune had Informed s." Henry,
Randall that the latter's appeal OF
Tuesday had been cabled to The Ir'o-
une in New York and then communl-
Gated TO Sunday, Sir Henry got INTO
touch with Sir William Hesketh Lever,
chairman Of Lever Brothers, Limited,
makers of soap, and Angus watson,
another captain OF industry, ana the
three men were soon in conference
u was readily agreed that in Sunday
lay the one hope of converting the
sluggish workmen to prohibition ana
resultant activity.
The conference consumed three
hours. After it had been decided that
a call was to be sent to the evangelist,
Sir Henry. Sir William and Mr.. Wat
son communicated by telephone ard
telegraph with all the principal cities
and towns throughout Great Britain,
securing options on the largest halls
in these places These options cover
dates in the near future.
To evidence the enthusiasm and ac-
tivity which have seized the promoters
of the movement, il need only be said
that a tentative tour programme has
already been drawn up, and Sundays
refusal to entertain the proposition
would effect a tremendous shock.
I'VE believe this is the psychological
moment when a man like Sunday could
convince the people of this country
that prohibition is the only way out
The only wav to success for the Al
lies" Sir Henry said after the con-
ference.
III he will come over here ne will
experience no trouble in a financial
sense. The money is already at hand.
We would hire the biggest halls in
every city and town in Great Britain
for him. Included in our committee
are the country's greatest captains of
industry. Big business men every
where will back the movement
Public Opinion Won.
"We believe that public opinion is
with US. Apart from the hundreds OF
thousands Of letters sent to Chancellor
Lloyd George. Premier Asquth has
been deluged with mail OF this nature.
II is truly amazing that suggestion
Of this kind should find such instanta-
neous encouragement from so many
hundreds of thousands OF persons.
Every member of the House Of
Commons is being inundated with tele-
grams in response TO our appeal, each
asking him to vote for a total suspen-
sion OF the use Of intoxicants and beg
gin9 that no half measures be consid-
! cred.
Before we had finished reaching out
this afternoon through England for
halls in which the revival services
could be held the biggest half-the
best half-of England had responded
that it's citizens would welcome the
evangelist warmly We have that half
of the nation at our disposal already
for this campaign, and we'll have the
other half before dusk tomorrow.
AT first we were slightly in fear
that results in this initial work would
be reached slowly, but few calls by
telephone and telegraph showed that
Continued on page 5, column