New-York tribune., 1921-12-28
Effort TO Bar
Church Wine
Denied 10y Drys
Directors of Anti Saloon
League Assert They Never
Will Support Law Aimed
to Forbid Old Sacrament
No Attempt at Coercion
Statement Says Pope, if
He Wished, Could Order
Use of Unfcrmented Wine

Declaring that the Pope could, if he
chose, order use Of unfcrmcnted wine
for sacramental purposes in Roman
Catholic churches and thereby "facili
tate execution of the policy adopted by
the American nation" an official state
mcnt issued yesterday by the Anti
Saloon League OF New York denied at
tomrts to coercc in the namc of prohi-
hition any religious organization.
The statement, which was adopted as
official at q regular meeting Of the
state board of directors Of the league,
says:
I'VE have been informed by Catholic
clcrgymen that the Pope could. if he
wished. make tho use Of unfcrmcnted
wine proper in Catholic churches Our
attention has been called TO the fac It
that i'll the Catholic Church the wine
IS not taken by the people, as is the
case in Protestant churches, but by
priests only. If the churches which
use sacramcntal wine Of an intoxicat-
ing nature could sec their way to
adopting something else it would facil-
tate execution OF the policy adopted by
the nation and help prevent violations
by unprincipled persons, shcitering
themselves behind religious rite.
Leagues Attitude Unchanged
"The attitude of the Anti Saloon
League, where use of Wnc for sacra-
mental purposes is concerned is the
same that it was when the late Arch
bishop John Ireland agreed thirty years
ago with the late Or. A. J. Kynott,
Methodist Episcopal leader, that the
Anti-Saloon League. then III process Of
formation, should be launched on a ba-
sis eliminating possibility of disagree
ment on questions of creed or party
Archbishop Ireland was for many years
one Of the national vice presidents of
the Anti-Saloon League. the place he
occupied now being filled by Father J
j. Curran, of Wilkes Barre, Pa
"'fhe AntiSaloon League has never
proposed and never will support
legislation which does not make full
and fair provision for obtaining sacra-
mental wine by the accredited repre-
sentative OF any church which uses it
for sacramental purposes, subject only
to reasonable regulations.
TO Uphold Religious Liberty
"Furthcr. we do not believe that any
person in authority or charged with
responsibility for enforcement of pro
hibition has ever contemplated imposi-
tion OF regulations which will inter
fere with bona hdc sacramental use of
wines The Anti-Saloon League will
join with the Roman Catholic Church
or any other church in resisting any
attempt in the name of prohibition to
impose coercion or interfere with re-
ligious liberty.
William H. Anderson, State Supcrin-
tendent of the Anti Saloon League,
said after the directors meeting, at
which the foregoing statement was
adopted as official. that card index
in his possession proved a large per
centage of high churchmen of all faiths
to favor total abstinence. This list
includes the name of the present Pope
and from 60 to 80 per cent of the gov
erning heads of all churches.
HARTFORD. Conn.,. Dec 27--Bishop
Chauncey 3. Brewster, of the Episco-
pal Church, speaking of the reported
effort Of prohibition officials to tampcr
with regulations affecting sacramental
vine, said the Episcopal Church would
combat such efforts on the score of
tradition. The Roman Catholic Church
will base its opposition on the language
70 the Constitution.