New Britain herald., 1919-06-14
MANY HOTEL MEN
 ARE STILL HOPEFUL
Do Not Think Prohibition Means
 Absolute Ruin

New York. June 14.-Hotel men of the North Atlantic states, excepting groups with headquarters in the metropolis who profess to see nothing but ruin ahead if prohibition is en- forced, expect to be doing business at the old stand in the days impending when the mahogany bar and the con- COCtiOnS more Or less mysteriously mixed by the white aproned dignitary behind it become matters of history.
 Despite predictions of the city and state bonifacos' associations of New
 York that large numbers of hOstSlries will be forced out of business by the advent of the "dry'' regime, the ma
 iority of persons well informed re- garding hotel affairs hold to the opin- ion that no such situation will de- Vclop. All along the coast and west ward to the Appalachians, they de- clare, prOprictOrS of city. town and country hotels, both of the con1mer- Cial and tourist types, are mapping out means of obtaining from other sources revenues equivalent to those derived from the sale of intoxicants. Popu- larized dining rooms, tea and dance parlors, soft drink grills and even the plebeian soda fountain are innovations planned and, in some cases. already in operation with success surprisingly gratifying to their owners.
 And revival of automobile touring which had less than half the normal volume last summer, when America was at the height of her war effort is expected to prove a potent outside factor in tiding the majority of hotels over the transition period slated to begin with enforcement of wartime prohibition July l.
 Significant as straWs that point the way of the wind in the "bone dry crisis are editorials in several of the leading periodicals devoted to the ho- tel business, and reports of adVertlS- ing agencies whose trade IS drawn largely from "automobile" taverns. The hotel editors, while hoping for the best-and the best" admittedly from their point of view would be a failure of the government to enforce the emergency prohibition measure. to- gether with court or popular deci sion nullifying the national prOhib{- tion amendm ent--adviSe their readers to look the situation squarely in the face and prepare for the operation of bar-Iess resorts.
 All sorts of substitutes for revenues obtained from the liquor trade arc suggested and the live" proprietor is urged 10 quit worrying and get to ] work.
 The advertising mcn summarizing their canvasses, declare that space" 1 contracted by the hotel interests far | exceeds that of last year, in fact sets a new record. The tourist houses in ! particular they state, have plunged / heavily into publicity frankly antlcI- 1 pating a bumper season of automobile | traffic and pla ming, through tnoreaS- , ed pa atronage and expansion m many cases of meal serving activities, 10 ] recoup the losses which will follow ! the banishnont of old John Barley corn
 From 'automobi}e rows of hun dreds of eastern cities the word has / gone out that people stand ready to . buy almost anything on four wheels ! '"The war is over" is tho popular cry, and enforced stay-at-homeS of recent open seasons are planning to see America Tourist hotel mon, it is de- clared. have seen their salvation in the travel boom already apparent in the steadily increasing volume of spring traffic. and improvements ranging ell the way from enlarged bedroom and dining room facilities to installation of attractive lunch rooms and cafe tcrias have been the result in many csta blishments that hitherto have gone along in a conservative, old fashioned way. depending on the par for the bulk of their receipts.
 While hotel men in many sectlons have referred vaguely to Assurances that war time prohibition would not be made cffcctiNe and haS.H- EraI6n11(