The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-19
'DRYS NOT WORRIED
BY BEER DECISION
General Counsel Of Anti-sa-
loon League Says Supreme
Court Will Get Case.
SEES JAIL FOR BREWERS
Effort Will Be Made to Have
Congress Define Alcoholic
Beverages.


The prohibition forces are not dis
turbed by the decision of Judge Hand to
permit a test of the intoxicating quail
ties Of 2.76 per cent. beer. Wayne B.
Wheeler Of Washington. d. c., general
counsel for the Anti-saloon League of
America, who stopped at the Martinique
Yesterday on his way to Yonkers to
make an address. said that 1t did not
matter how various judges ruled on
the question because sooner or later the
matter would como before tho Supreme
Court,
He warned the brewers to beware lost
while they 60 on with the brewing Of
2.7S per cent. beer they are not piling
up jail sentences against themselves.
Should Congress or the Supreme Court
define alcoholic contsnt to be lower than
a.7s per cent. the brewers will DO liable
to prosecution.
Judges and juries will differ until the
Supreme Court decides II finally" he
said. I'VE believe that the court Of last
resort will hold that the act prohibits
all beer Without reference to It's alcoholic
content II It does every brewer who
! violates the act in the meantime con-
tinues at his peril"
VIII Appeal to Congress.
Mr.. Wheeler announced that immedi-
| ate efforts will be made to get Congress
to rule on the definition, but he said
that in case Of no action test case will
be taken to the Supreme Court as quickly
| as POSSIBLE.
Tho State Anti-Saloon League by vote
Of its directors issued notice yesterday
that it regards statements made by its
opponents that Its next campaign will
be against tobacco as "wilfully false"
The directors refused to say anything
about the tobacco trade at all, even
with the plausible excuse of sales to
minors. and announced with as much
positiveness as possible that the league
not only has no intention of engaging
In any anti-tobacco crusade, but that 1t
positively will not SO engage"
In this connection the directors quoted
the clause from the league programme
America and to redeem the world from
alcohol" and made the estimate that
these activities would be sufficient to
engage the leagues attention for the
next twenty-five years
The directors declared that the I'm
putation OF an anti-smoking campaign
was put upon them by persons who
wished to bring the movement into dis
repute by giving the impression that
its hackers are "fanatical and unrea-
sonable." The action Of the board was
taken, 1t was stated. on behalf Of the
churches composing the leagues con-
stituency.
No Jobs for Human Containers,
The gayety OF nations notwithstand-
Ing. there will be no living proofs of the
Kick in IN per cent. beer when the Fed
eral Court will be asked Friday to de-
eide whether 4 is or is not intoxicating.
United States District Attorney Caffey.
In collaboration with Special Assistant,
Attorney General Fits, Is preparing a
mass or afndavits from physicians and
other experts to combat the small IL
brary Of opposite affidavits already sub
mitted In behalf OF the brewers by Elihu
Root and their other attorneys
Attorneys connected with the Govern
ments side OF the case welcomed Judge
Hands determination that the question
must DO tried on the merits almost as
heartily as did the attorneys for the
brewers They are confident of their
ability to prove that war beer Is an al
coholic monster despite the clipping
of It's claws to a mere az sisc. They
are furthermore pleased that Judge Hand
In the course of his opinion wholly dis
agreed with the argument of Mr.. Root
against the constitutionality of the war
time prohibition act In his opinion
Judge Hand held that II was clearly
within the law making powers OF non
'sress and went SO far as to say that
the opinion that total abstinence con-
duced to greater efficiency is almost uni
versal.
Vets to Meet In Garden.
The first big meeting OF the Associa-
ton Opposed to National Prohibitions
which Is to start the war on the Elgh-
teenth Amendment will be held in Mad
ison Square Garden on Saturday night
The seating capacity has already been
taxed by the mood OF applications, and
labor is coming in a body Ernest
Bohm, secretary OF the Central FEEDER
ated Union, announced that arrange
ments are being made for monster labor
demonstrations about the city centring
Union League, the United Hebrew
Trades and the united board OF busi-
ness representatives of the building
trades are to march with the C. F. U.
delegates.
The speakers for the demonstration in
the garden 30 far announced are Ed
ward ]. Mcdonald, lieutenant of the
Fifty-fourth Artillery, First Army
Charles A. Windle of Chicago. and the
Rev. John L. Bedford. a Catholic clergy
man who has been one OF the active
anti-prohibitionists. Each OF the speak
ers Is willing to submit to heckling py
any Andersonites who care to try their
luck at the meeting.
William II. Anderson. superintendent
OF the Anti-Saloon League, speaking In
Syracuse yesterday, said that the at
tempts being made to pass a notification
measure designed to legalize three per
cent beer made him laugh. The move
ment is issuing from Syracuse chiefly
he said. and Syracusans ought to be
ashamed of themselves.
IF this conspiracy succeeds SYRIA
cuse will be made laughing stock OF
the State" he said. "A three per cent
beer bill in New York will be about
as useful for practical purposes after