New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-02
Ban ON Alcohol
Closing Plants,
Chemist Saws
Dr. ]. B. Teeple Charges
Wheeler Misrepresented
Facts to Force Legislation:
Alarmed at Restrictions
Industry Is Crippled
Declares Adequate Supply
Is Vital TO Life of Big
Blu siness Enterprises

vast business enterprises, involving
millions in revenue and certain mecca
ssries of modern life, are threatened
with disruption by Federal and state
legislation restricting the production
OF alcohol, according to DR.. John B,
Teeple, president of the Chemists Club,
and Charles H. Herty, PhD., director
OF the American Chemical Society.
DR.. Teeple goes even further and
asserts that Wayne B. Wheeler, gem
eral legislative superintendent of the
Anti-Saloon League, has been guilty of
Misrepresentation of facts in attempts
20 force prohibition legislation A cir
cuiar issued by the American Chemical
Society reads in part:
"As has been stated at protest meet
ings of various sections of the society,
the chemists are urging the needs Of
an adequate supply of alcohol as a
solvent and fuel. They are much
alarmed by the checking of the growth
CT the manufacture of alcohol for
legitimate industrial and medicinal
purposes.
Industry Handicapped
"owing to the narrow Interpretation
of existing laws all forms of industry,
as was shown in recent testimony at
Washington, have been greatly handi-
capped in getting a supply of much
needed alcohol. A recent survey shows
that 6S per cent of the industrial
alcohol plants of the country are being
closed and scrapped. Production fell
from 110,000,000 gallons in 1917 to 56,-
100000 gallons in 1920.
although alcohol does not appear as
the final ingredient in thousands of
products, it has an enormous use in
their manufacture. One artificial silk
company in Virginia uses 10000 gal
Ions a day. The rum demon is being
censored out of the motion pictures,
yet millions of gallons of alcohol are
used every year in the manufacture of
the celluloid films from which pictures
are projected upon the silver screen.
The situation has become so serious
that film manufacturers are consider
ing the establishment of their indus
tries across the Canadian border,
where alcohol can be had with less re-
strictions.
alcohol in its pure state is used
in the manufacture of thousands Of
American Chemical Society in New
York a typewriter list of such rene
dies was used as background for the
speakers. 1t made strip sixty feet
in length, although the names Of the
remedies were typewriter in single
space.
Plentiful in Germany
American chemists estimate that in
dustries of Germany have ten gallons
of alcohol available for every gallon
available to American manufacturers.
"The plea of the American Chemical
Society, as expressed in resolution
recently adopted by that body, is for
the production of alcohol under such
conditions that it readily can be en-
ployed for heat, light and power, for
the hospital and the laboratory, and
also as raw material and solvent in
thousands of industrial processes to
the national prosperity"
The letter written by President Tee
pie of the Chemists Club was sent to
Senator Sterling and other members
of the Senate Judiciary Committee yes
terday. Dr. Teeple explained in his
letter that the chemical industries had
: been tricked by the Anti-Saloon paid
lobbyists in Washington" He inclosed
copies of correspondence with Wayne
B. Wheeler, general legislative super
intendent of the league, to prove his
case The letter follows in part:
yesterday, Mr., Wayne B. Wheeler
aupeared before the Senate Judiciary