New-York tribune., 1919-01-29
Lawyers Prepare for Bat
lie in the U. S. Supreme
Court Early Next July
Taft and Hughes
May Join Counsel
Attack l. TO Start i'm Is
States Where Referen-
dunn Is Required by Law

The major legal battle on the part of
the interests opposed to national prohi-
bition viii begin Immediately after July
] next, when, under the terms of the
Sheppard amendment to the agricult-
ural bin, prohibition as a war measure
goes into effect Meanwhile prepara-
tion for it in the courts is going on.
The skirmishes preliminary to the
major engagement may begin almost
any day A definite step was taken yes
terday at the Hotel st. Regis at con-
ference of seven members of an ex-
ecutive committee appointed by the dis
tillers IN Chicago on January IA. Those
present were Samuel Wollner, of
Peoria, ILL.,, chairman; Henry NJ. Nay
Ion, of Rochester, ce-chairman; !;
George f. Dieterle, of Cincinnati, sec
retary treasurer; George Dempsey, of
Boston; Marion Taylor, of Louisville; ;
George T. Benz Of st. Paul, and julius
Kessler, of New York With them was
their counsel, Levy Mayer, of Chicago.
This committee was appointed to take
legal steps to compel referendum on
prohibition in fifteen of the states
which have already ratified the amend
ment, but where. the distillers assert,
this action was illegal, inasmuch as
the state laws require a referendum.
One of Many Plans
At the close OF the conference Mr..
Wollner and Mr.. Kessler said this was
only one of the many plans in the bat
tie against the prohibition amendment.
The meeting was executive.
Meanwhile, the Association Opposed
TO National Prohibition. backed by the
leading hotel keepers of the country,
with Lemuel K. Quigg as counsel, is
going ahead with preparations for what
viii be the major engagement in July.
This association is in receipt of let
ters and signatures to petitions run
ming up to 100000, and these are COM
ing into the headquarters so rapidly
every day that the clerks are behind
in classifying. and card indeXing them.
All are protests against the prohibi-
ton amendment. The association will
keep on with the task of collecting
these names until 100000 have been
obtained.
Within the next two weeks there
is to be conference of the leading
organizations and interests opposed to
prohibition. Probably it will be held
in this city. The meeting of the dis
tilers at the st. Regis yesterday is
understood to be part of the general
conference.
Taft May Be Counsel
It is current gossip among the
hotel men that ex-President Taft is to
&c i,,l
tion when the case comes before the
United States Supreme Court. When
Mr. Quigg was asked yesterday about
retained counsel he said
Undoubtedly there soon will be
convened a meeting of counsel rep
resenting all the interests involved, to-
gether with the public that is against
prohibition and injured in its per
sonal rights by this amendments At
that conference no doubt procedure
VIII be considered, together with the
selection of those attorneys who may
seem best qualified TO present the case
or cases TO the courts"
At his headquarters in the Cam
bridge Building, Fifth Avenue and
Ihirty-third Street, William H. Nc
Masters, IN charge of the headquarters
o. the Association Opposed to National
frohlnlhon, yesterday reported a ma
hotel people to fight the dry amend
ment
at the headquarters here we have
received around 100000 letters, postal
cards and signatures to petitions
against prohibition, and they are com
ing in so fast that we can scarcely
take care Of them" said Mr.. McMas-
ters.
Not Aiding War Work
The Anti-Saloon League probably is
nc only organization in the United
states that was not whole heartedly
engaged IN defeating the German Kai-
ser during tho last year and half
hlle the other people We're engaged
IN war work the Ant-Saloon League
was putting over prohibitions We have
received hundreds of checks which we
nave not banked at all, because we are
not sure that we shall use them. hut
none OF them has come from distillers
or brewers They have come from in
diViduals and hotel men. | have been
connected with all sorts Of campajpns
"U1 never was connected with one
where the response to an annca1 fas
the protection of the nlain in'0ne naonIn rJa
against an attack upon their personaI
"oer5les was 50 fully responded 10 "
ASKED about the retention of Will
said: '''N Was erS
II doubt very much about Mr. Taft
accepting retainer from the hotcl or
liquor interests. He is against ma
Aonai prohibition, but if he should ac-
ecpt retainer from US his mot;ve.
might be misconstrued He NAV an
pear Voluntarily"
A. the office Of Charles +. Hughes il
"as said that Mr. hughes had not been
retained BY the opponents OF prohi.
bition. P'0'''
Battle Plans of Vets
The battle plan of the vets are not
wholly left to conjecture. The AssoS
ciation Opposed TO Prohibition of
%nlcn James Woods is chairman ,yiIl
cialrn the right of rcpresentatio, be-
'ore the United States Supreme Court
." the ground that personal rights
nave been denied in the nrohibition ac,
si4ned b. President Wilson an Novar,
- last az war rneayurc To tako
'Hcct on July J. BY obtaining vns,
number OF petitions counsel will ON
ntcaVor 70 'ay Il foundation Of fact for
nc highest court 10 review. n IA
hHe3y fhat the name Of every ono
"fltin& letter or signing d petition
against the dry amendment uill sno,'
after July ! be presented in III. unitcd
States Supreme Court
1t - understood that the battle w;il
te ~aged on the main ground that
rational prohibition depriyca the net
IN ,f..4.