Evening star., 1923-03-24
DRY LAW R|D|CULE
ST|RS D|GN|TAR|ES
TO SPURN DINNER
Phi Delta Phi Cancels Ban
quet in Honor of Justice
Sutherland.
WORDING OF INVITATIONS
CAUSE OF PROTEST
Son of Justice Walter I. Mccoy
Sends Letters Apologizing
for Facetiousness.

Facetious references to the PROM
bition laws in an invitation sent out
by the Phi Delta Phi Fraternity TO
the leading members of the judicial
and legal profession of Washington
TO attend a dinner tonight in honor
of Justice Sutherland, newly appoint
ed to the United States Supreme
Court bench, resulted in the pros
pective guest of honor and a host OF
other dignitaries Indignantly declin
ing, it developed today, and the din
ner was Immediately called off.
The affair was to have been extra
legal and judicial. Justice Stafford OF
the District Supreme Court was TO
have been toastmaster and ESQ mem
bers of the fraternity were asked
to attend. The invitations took the
form of "summonses" and threatened
those who failed to respond with eX-
traordinary default" proceedings. In
tongue-twisting legal phraseology,
the defendant members were inter
rogated as to their views of the
eighteenth amendment and the Vol
stead act.
Asks as to Beliefs.
do you believe in the eighteenth
amendment and the Nolstead Law"
the bill of interrogatories asked.
Have you a supply in your cellar
or other place Of concealment or con-
finement?
'If you answer (the last previous
question: in the Affirmative, then an
swer this. How much do you intend
to bring?
Whether you have supply or not.
how much do you intend to get and
bring with you? (Remember the less
fortunate who have none of it and
might desire some on such an occa-
sion as this.)
Plaintiffs further aver that in or
der to make the best of a dry town
the said defendants must be required
to give their assistance to the best
OF their ability" Transportation.
the bill concluded. would be gladly
furnished.
Storm of Protest Follows.
A veritable storm of protest fol-
lowed receipt of the invitations.
George Clarke Ober. jr.. president OF
the Washington chapter of Phi Delta
Phi, is said to have declared he was
deluged with protestations from
members who failed to see the Joke
in such facetious treatment of a law
they. as either judges or lawyers, had
sworn to uphold. He Immediately sent
a letter to every one who had received
~, wi 20 riny1 hot
latter was intended in a humorous
and ironical vein. Full explanations
and apologies. he said, had been
rendered both Justice Sutherland and
Justice Stafford.
Philbrick Mccoy, son of Justice
Walter I. Mccoy. chief justice OF the
District Supreme Court, accepted full
responsibility for the "summonsin in
vitation." Mr.. Mccoy declared he had
had a hard time explaining that his
only purpose was to inject little pep
in the announcement. He failed to see
how the notice was taken so serious
ly, since its wording was so obvi-
ously humorous.
Dinner Is Cancelled.
All explanations were in vain.
however, and the dinner, which was
to have been held tonight at tho
University Club, was Cancelled. Jus
tice Sutherland was to have been
initiated into the fraternity, which
Is the international fraternity of the
legal profession, in the course OF
the dinner.
The text OF Mr.. McCoy's letter Of
explanation, which was mailed be-
fore the decision to cancel the din
ner, follows:
II am writing you this letter TO
give a more complete explanation OF
the recent bill of complaint invita-
tion for the imitation of Justice Suth
erland than was contained in the
letter of March 1S.
THE bill of complaint and the in
terrogatorieS' were prepared and sent
out by myself without having sub
mitted them to any other member or
officer of the inn. Upon hearing OF
the character of the interrogatories'
the inn, in a special meeting, eX-
pressed it's unqualified disapproval.
ut is my personal desire TO dlsavow
any intention that the interro-
gatories' were to be considered seri-
ously, and I deeply regret that my
hasty action should have reflected, IN
any manner, on the inn or it's officers.
"The attendance and support of our
alumni are absolutely essential to the
success of the function planned for
Justice Sutherland. and it is earnest
ly hoped that this unfortunate cir
cumStance will not detract from those
elements which are so necessary
Ober Apologies.
President Ober's apologies were
contained in the following letter: :.
TT has come to my attention that a
number Of the members of the frater-
nifty have misunderstood the reference
to the Volstead act III the communica-
tion recently sent to you by the clerk
of the inn. These references were
made in humorous and ironical vein
and are so far from the ideals and
principles of the fraternity that 1t did
not occur to their author that anyone
would take them in any other manner
than that in which they were in
tended.
However, as these statements have
been to some extent misunderstood,
this letter Is to assure you of the
hearty support and respect of John
Marshall's Inn for the law of the land
and to express regret that the humor
and irony of one of its officers was
| misinterpreted.
Full explanations and apologies
have been made to both Justices
| Sutherland and Stafford, which have
been accepted by them. No change
! will be made in the plans and 1t is
| hoped that the attendance will not
suffer because OF this regrettable in
cident."