The Washington herald., 1920-03-14
New York City
b, o. o. Mcintyre

those who declared, that never
would they smile again. Life had
lost its tang. Gilead had lost Its
balm and earth indeed was a ter
rible place.
They went about with long faces,
mournful eyes and lugubrious
looks. For there Is no denying the
fact that prohibition hit New York
an awful waIiop. II came so sud
denly that they couldn't believe II
true until they saw the big cafes
struggle awhile and give up the
ghost.
They saw Broadway settle down
to the o'clock spirit OF q 10
o'clock town. But the last two
weeks the so-called vets have been
smiling. They see the dawn Of bet
ter days. They are beginning to
moisten their lips and see visions of
the old Book Beer sign, being hung
out along with the coming of the
hand organ.
So many things have happened
that it Is fairly dazing the vets and
they are fioundering around In bill
lows of joy. The reception given
Governor Edwards, of New Jersey.
at a recent public dinner here sur
passed anything ever before seen in
the waysof public demonstrations.
The demonstration was based on
Governor Edwards attitude against
The biggest men in
New York in finance. theatricals and
law were there and indeed the chief
speaker was to have been a man
who was appointed Secretary of
State on that day and for obvious
reasons did not attend.
There is great glee In certain cir
cles over the investigation into the
Anti-Saloon league funds by the
and then, too. there Is
over the head of the
League attacking the
church. A light wine and beer
license seems to be all that New
Workers. want.
The hotels and cafes are of course
hoping for the best for their busi-
ness has suffered enormously. AS
an innocent bystander II does seem
to me that public sentiment Is
changing in New Fork. At first the
interest in the dry regime was pass
i've but there is being fostered a
spirit of resentment not only among
the rich and poor but middle class.
This may pass away. l do not
profess to know. l am merely re-
cording impressions. strangely not
even the worst old topper favors the
of whisky.
The chief complaint against the
prohibitionists-or rather the Anti
saloon League-as | gather IL n
not that the original movement
was not one for good. In fact
the admission is made that the
movement started in a sincere.
nonpartisan desire to
promote temperance and lessen the
evils-and they were great-of the
liquor traffic.
But misguided men, it is charged,
are astride the moral movement
and are stirring up a church row.
The laboring man is more and more
resentful of the fact that he can't
get a glass of beer when a man
who can afford it can get all the
liquor he wants in New York
from champagne on down to be-
fore -the-war bottled beer. :
New York is, of course, different
from the rest of the country on
the subject of prohibition. 1t be-
lieves that it cannot get along as
the theatrical, financial and shop
ping capital without a little slim
ulant. OF course, it can and will
20 hat ha 10
that the way the wind is blowing
now they are going to put up a
hard old fight.
Spectators gathered opposite the
Building one day this
week to enjoy the pranks the wind
was playing on pedestrians turned
their laughs to cheers when a
hat performed a few
antics.
The headpiece of a man walking
south was carried straight up from
his head until II was opposite the
fourth story windows. There it
executed n gigantic circle and
finally was blown squarely into his
hands as he stood on the curb be-
low. In its travels the hat passed
a woman's hat. resting on win
dow ledge where II had been blown.
Fifty shows are waiting to come
into New York but they cannot get
theaters. The Shuberts have an
nounced that they will build four
street. A large theater is an
nounced for Columbus Circle and
two more are being planned in the
Thirties.
New York has just half enough
theaters, according to the theatre
cal men, but they are banking on
all years being just as this is
which may or may not be the case.
There Is a tendency now to build
larger theaters. The intimate or
little theater was cozy. exclusive
and all that sort of thing but they
did not pay. The best paying the
aters in town are the largest
There is a theater on West Forty
second street that Is one of the
lar gest in town, but every show
fiivvers there and it is becoming
known as a hoodoo. Psychologists
say IL is because all of the first floor
s, ats are on the same level and peo-
pie get so tired of craning and
twisting their necks that they get
tired of the show. When they leave
they knock il.
Spring is certainly here. John ID.
Rockefeller is having a new flock Of
iron dogs put out on his lawn at
Pocantico Hills. Mr.. Rockefeller is
a great admirer of iron dogs He
will pay almost any price for one
that pleases his fancy. But with the
price of gasoline going up the way
1t is it will soon tie easy for him 20
buy an iron dog factory. Not. so
long ago / can remember when gas
oline was commonly used to clean