New-York tribune., 1919-10-10
W. C.. T. L. Crusade To Be
Opposed by Organization
of Growers, Jobbers, Re-
tailers and Consumers
Fight Begun in Oregon
Petition for Initiative Is
Said to Have Been Filed
by the Women Reformers

The Association Opposed to National
frohlbltions yesterday announced the
organization of the Allied Tobacco
League of America, which will oppose
the campaign said to have been
launched by the Woman's Christian
Temperance Union for an anti-tobacco
amendment to the Federal Constitution
unlike the efforts made to combat
the earlier activities of the Anti-Saloan
League, the statement says, (Which
efforts were frutless to prevent the
prohibition amendment, the Allied To-
bacco League of America will profit by
ne experience Of others and will meet
tnc campaign for an anti-tobacco
amendment on equal grounds"
Inc league VIII include growers leaf
dealers, warehouse men, manufacturers,
Johters and retailers of tobacco, as we'll
as consumers who wish to prevent to-
bacco prohibition. 1t will be lncorpo-
rated under the laws of Kentucky, the
greatest tobacco growing state in the
country, and the main office will be in
Cincinnati.
New York To Re Headquarters
The following officers were elected at
the first meeting Of the league, which
took place yesterday in Cincinnati:
President. ". D. Spalding, presiden.
Of the Cincinnati Leaf Tobacco Ex-
change: vice president, Charles Whit
rock; secretary William S. Golden
berg: treasurer, George f. Enge; OF
ganizer and field secretary. Emmett Orr
branch headquarters Will be cstab-
lished in the East. West. North and
South. probably at New York. San
Francisco, Detroit and New Orleans
The w. c. 7. T.. according to a dis
patch received yesterday by the Asso-
citation Opposed to National prohibl-
tions, has filed with the Secretary Of
State Of Oregon an initiative pet
ton to make il unlawful to sell, use or
possess cigarettes in that state after
the maximum fine for the first offence
at 500 and for the second at $500. Later
violations would be punishable by jail
terms of thirty days in addition to the
fine
"The W. c. T. L. is following the ex-
act programme OF the Anti-Saloon
League in its earlier attempts" says
the statement Of the association.
at viii not at present attempt any
legislation or ordinances against to-
bacco in tobacco growing states. It
! VIII, however, go lNCO states Ike Ne
I braska, Kansas. Iowa and Maine. whose
people are not particularly interested
/ IN the growth, manufacture, etc, of to-
4 bacco, but in It's use. and where the
voters will not awaken to the menace
in their midst until the constitutional
amendment against tobacco arrives.
Old Political Trick Charged
"Now, the W. c. T. L. has taken a
leaf from the handbook of the Anti
Saloon League, which has taken it in
turn from that Of oldtimc Democratic
a"d Republ ican bosses When the
Platts, Quays. Hills and Crokers
wanted something they didn't 90 to
the people; they went instead to what
they held in the palms of their hands
and over which they cracked the whip,
to wit, the legislatures.
an the old days the Anti Saloon
League, from its headquarters in Wcs-
tcrville, Ohio carried on local option
campaigns to make townships, vii
lagos and counties dry The 'wets'
combatcd these campaigns with tup-
peny politics, when had they been left
alone the people themselves would have
settled the questions, for the results In
these little local option fights whip
sawed, and community that went
dry" one year went wet the next
The local option campaigns were fz-
zles, and Purey +. Bakev, general
superintendent of the Anti-Saloon
League, is the authority for that state
ment."