Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-07-15
THE PROHIBITION
QUESTION SETTLED
What Advertising Is Doing For
The Strengthen America
Campaign"
AN INDUSTRIAL QUESTION

That the liquor problem is city and
industrial question and that the best
method for making prohibition eff
fective is through paid newspaper adj
vertising is pointed out by Charles
Sickle, manager of the Strengthen
America Campaign" in a report which
he has just submitted to the Admin
istration Committee of the Federal
Council of the Churches of Christ in
America. under whose direction the
Strengthen America Campaign" is be-
ing conducted.
The Strengthen America Cam
paign" is pushing its propaganda
through a series of sixty advertise
ments which are appearing in thous-
and daily and weekly newspapers.
These advertisements are furnished
without expense TO local committees,
their insertion in local newspapers be-
ing paid for by these committees.
Plans for publicity campaigns are also
furnished without cost In addition
specially prepared motion picture will
be shown in theatres throughout the
United States. Articles and paid adj
vertisements in labor papers, which
are read by millions of workingmen
and their families, are being printed
and a set of a dozen posters and a
series of thirty leaflets have been is
sued, millions of copies of the latter
having been put out.
Full-page advertisements in national
weeklies have been used and copies
of hree-hundred-page book entitled
why Prohibition" have been distrib-
uted to members of Congress. to State
legislators and to a thousand labor
leaders, this book being based upon
study of the economic aspects of the
liquor problem in this and other coun-
tries.
Mr. Sickle reported that prohibition
mass meetings followed by open forum
discussions have been held in indus
trial centres A special campaign is
under way among the trade unionists
of this country to meet the statements
of labor leaders unfavorable to pro-
hibition THE Worker" a monthly
publication dealing with the liquor
problem, is being widely distributed
among the workingmen throughout the
United States.
can analysis of the dry territory
throughout the United States indicates
that most of it is in rural areas; only
about 20 per cent of the people in dry
States live in cities, whereas in the
wet States about 20 per cent live in
Cities" said Mr.. Stelzle
"One-fourth of all the people in the
United States living in wet territory
live in six cities, New York, Chicago,
Cleveland, and one-half of all the peo-
pie now living in licensed territory
live in four great industrial States
New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois and
New Jersey.
There never was a time when
America so needed her sober senses as
today. It is time when selfishness
must be subordinated TO the great task
of winning the war. Our allies dis
covered early in the war that their
real enemy was not the Teuton and
the Turk, but alcohol. We can fight
this enemy at home. II lies with the
men who cannot go TO the front; with
the women who cannot help out as
nurses or welfare workers 10 enlist
now to overthrow our common foe. for
our allies foe has become our foe
We must not be deceived by dry
territory maps which seem 20 indi-
cate that the fight is almost ended II
isn't a question Of capturing land
areas. were after men and most OF
those In unconquered territory live In
cities which do not cover much land
area Therefore. the cities Of America
stand as a challenge In fighting booze
This Is a problem which concerns
almost exclusively certain classes
workingmen and city people-wh0
have Il in their power TO settle il
right-when they are convinced that
the arguments OF the prohibitionists
are sound. The people living in places
where saloons exist should see most
quickly the dire effects Of the liquor
traffic when they are intelligently
pointed out to them. 1t is therefore
important that a campaign of educa-
tion be conducted in which the actual
facts shall be presented. principally
through paid advertising in the col
umns of the daily newspapers. so that
when prohibition is enacted, a very
considerable majority in the cities will
believe in it because they will have
been convinced of its fairness and its
effectiveness. for there must be no
comeback after prohibition laws
have been passed"