The sun., 1919-01-24
GREEN OPTIMISTIC
OVER PROHIBITION
Hotel Mems President Tells
Colleagues All Is Not
Over Yet.

Optimism. to Judge from the attitude
of the hotel men at the fortieth annual
banquet of the New York Hotel Asso-
citation in the Hotel Biltmorc last night.
springs eternal in the breast OF every
man engaged in the trade
There were 500 OF them present in the
ballroom Of the Hotel Biltmore, and they
applauded vocife%ous!y when their presi-
dent. Thomas D. Green, arose and spoke
on prohibition and its evils. This was
his speech. His hearers seemed to gather
a vast encoura gement from it,
I'm not going to make speech
against prohibition. What I might say
wouldn't be intended for you 'appren-
tees in the use OF liquor-it's the Jour
neyman drinkers - the hypocritical
towards IN the State legislatures that I'd
like to talk to. and what I've got TO say
wouldn't be At to print But there is Just
one phase of the question which I do
want to touch upon.
81 said had been busy trying to keep
the country wet While I have done all
that could it has been very little as
compared with what others in this heart
rending night have been and are doing
for a cause that We believe and know to
be just to the last degree,
And what, more this work has been
going on for long time. Don't get II
into your head that this IL a death bed
struggle. I'm not in sympathy with
those OF us who arc now saying. We
should have started something long ago,
Something was started long ago, and
about all was done that could have been
done so far as results were concerned.
taking into consideration the circum-
stances and conditions. Our great trouble
has been that no matter what effort was
made il would have been impossible to
induce the public to drink moderately
or regard seriously anything We could
have said.
IF. you had gone out on the street
four weeks ago. forty-fve out OF fifty
persons you met would have talked
about like this: Prohibition. why the
.dea " And New York go dry, Stop
Your Kidding The country wouldn't
stand for it Labor wouldn't have it.
Meet the forty-five people to-day and
see how the tone has changed.
What are you going TO do" I know
you said so. but | thought ii was all
talk 4 didn't realize it was so serious
may be wrong in my conclusions. but
don't believe that anS amount Of ar
gument would have made the moderate
drinking man go to the polls and vote
his way OF thinking, much less work for
II. ] believe he'll do It now when he
finds that his rights--the rights Of the
majority-have been trampled upon by
hiaoted hyprocrItical minority.
"He didn't realize thar his vote at the
polls was the weapon with which to COM
bat the conscience saving millions of
Rockefeller. Heinz and their like. He
thought that we. in taking care OF our
interests, would protect his. lie didn't
think that Government would confiscate
business employing 10000 men at mn
annual wage OF $3.50. 100000. that paid
more profits TO such Government than TO
Itself.
"All that we could have said wouldn't
have changed him enough to turn the
tide OF organized fanatlcism and bigotry
What has just happened is doing
more than we ever could have accom-
plished; but what we must do now is to
take advantage of this altered attitude
OF mind and drive our point home"
The only other speakers at the dinner
were Murray Hubert. Commissioner OF
Docks and Ferries, and Rennold Wolf
who made n speech beginning Jesse
James was the first hotel proprietor
and ending ut is a pleasure TO see all
you hotel men sitting here and enjoying
your own annual good meal"