The New York herald., 1921-02-07
ANTI-SAL0ONISTS
LINING UP BEHIND
DRYS' NEW DRIVE
All congressman Will BE
Put on Record on Wines
and Beer.
MORE POWER SOUGHT
Washington to Be Asked
for More Latitude to De-
partment if Necessary.
LAWS LEAVE A LOOPHOLE
Unfit for Beverage Use,' Pat
ent Medicine Section Word
ing, Is Too Elastic.


Special Despatch to THE New YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington ID. c.. Feb. 9.
Throwing down the gauntlet to manu-
facturers of patent medicines. Wayne B.
Wheeler, general counsel of the Anti
Saloon League of America issued a
lengthy statement to-day setting forth
the plans of the drys to drive out of
business medicine makers and venders
who use alcoholic spirits as the base of
their medicinal preparations. The league
has timed its big guns at the use of
wine in patent medicines. because OF the
Interpretation in some quarters OF the
latest anti-withdrawal order of Pronibi-
tion Commissioner Kramer as an act
sdestined to promote the liberal use of
wines and beer and exclude whiskey
from the commercial market.
Mr. Wheeler said trat the national
prohibition act permits the manufacture
and sale of certain alcoholic prepara-
tions and proprietary medicines that are
unfit for use as a beverage. He de-
clared that when the prohibition bill was
pending he urged the judiciary commit
tee to use stronger phrase than unfit
for beverage use," because he feared
the drys would have more or less trouble
with Certain patent medicines"
legitimate proprietary medicine makers
asserted that the phraseology used. 'un-
ft for beverage purposes would make
II possible to drive every fake patent
medicine vender off the market. He
said Congress finally adopted the bill in
that form, and I'VE have consistently
fought the manufacture and sale of
every patent medicine which is being
used for beverage purposes"
Whar tl1p saloons closed drinkers
turned TO the most available substitute.
They found many alcoholic preparations
distasteful because of the dose OF medi-
cine but. nevertheless. they had the
"lsick" in them. The league now hopes
the department will discard entirely the
rule formerly used for determining what
preparations were unfit for beverage
use. namely. one dose of the medicament
20 one fluid ounce of the preparation.
The league contends that inveterate
drinkers will stomach bad tasting med'-
cine for the sake of inhaling the strength
in the spirits buried In the fake medi-
cines.
MANY Of these medicines are of n ma
ture that the alcohol works before the
medicine" stated Mr.. Wheeler we
believe that the rule as heretofore used
Is entirely unworkab'e now, and I think
the department should disregard II en-
tIrely The best way to determine
whether a medicine is unfit for beverage
use is from the experience with IT, II
IL is used Cor beverage, purposes that is
the best test The formula itself should
be taken into consideration. for or
course, in many instances 1t discloses
the beverage quality.
"we are against the use of whiskey
or wine as a base for the making or
these medicines" continued Mr.. Wheeler.
He said IL the department does not reel
justified in making the regulation Con-
gress will be asked at the forthcoming
session to enact that feature into the
prohibition act.
Patent medicines made with wine are
easy substitutes for booze" said the dry
leader Another method TO drive the
fake patent medicine venders off the
market will be to medicate the liquor
before 1t goes from the factory Many
manufacturers get the alcohol from the
manufactory andsnever medicate II prop
erly. If the alcohol supply is medicated
at the factory this will help solve the
problem"
II was indicated by Mr.. Wheeler that
Congress would be besieSed at con-
venent time to force a showdown on
the attitude of certain members with
reference TO wines and beers of light
alcoholic content. He stated that Corr
gress would be asked to grant more
authority to the department, II the ruiz
ing heads thereof do not care to go so
far as absolutely TO shut off the supply
OF wines. whiskey and other alcoho les
from the reach OF the medicine manu-
facturer VINO abuses his rights and priv
ileges under the law.
The Anti-Saloon League started out In
the beginning. he made plain. to see
that any national prob bition law which
might be enacted was not violated by
subtle means of medicine vendors. ami
he says me league will keep its faith
with the supporters who have stood be-
hind II all these years. and who are
anxious that fake patent medicines with
large alcoholic content be abolished.
The following paragraph in the regu-
lations governing the use OF whisl<ey and
Wines In patent medicines Will receive
the particular attention OF the Anti
Saloon League:
such preparations (meaning patent
medicines) must contain no more alco-
hol than Is necessary for the purpose OF
extraction. solution or preservation, and
must contain In each fluid ounce rs a
whole or in compatible combination one
or more agents OF recognized therapeutic
value and contain no agents either chem
ically or physiologically incompatible
with the active medicinal agents upon
which the medicinal claims are based
meeting viii be neld III New lOIN
February II by committee of manufac-
turers and importers to discuss the re-
cent opinion OF the Accomplishment.
holding that the authority OF the Com.
missioner of Internal Revenue to Issue
permits for the sale l. Wholesale guam
titles OF i-toxicar..g liquor is limited to
manufacturers md wholesale druggists
The committee consists of Granville
Wnittlesey. New York Henry NJ. Nay
Ion, Rochester: A. l.. Cummins. Balti-
more Alphons Vile. New York; John
r. Finn, Cincinnati. and Thomas S.
Jones. Louisville
Persistent rumors here are that Will
lam Jennings Bryan will be the sue
cessor OF Mr.. Kramer as Prohibition
Commissioner. but little credence ls
given these reports Mr.. Bryan might
take the post merely 60 satisfy his per-
sonal whims about prohibition, II Is
pointed out, although there has been
no public pronounccment about who ie
20 take over the reins from Mr. Kramer
President-elect Harding has been known
70 Have considered seriously the ques-
ton Of selecting some official who viii
properly and efficiently enforce the laws
as they are now written on the statute
books. but Il Is considered unlikely that
he would select such a pronounced dry
as Mr.. Bryan.