Evening star., 1927-05-20
DRYS' CAMPAIGN
PLANS ANNOUNCED
Anti-SaIoon League to Seek
$600,000 to Defeat Wet
as President.
by G. GOULD LINCOLN.

The Anti Saloon League of America
today announced its plans for cam
paign to defeat the nomination or
election Of any wet candidate for
President.
Through it's executive committee the
league voted to raise a special supple
mental campaign fund Of 5000 900 dur
ing the next two years to augment the
leagues POLITICAL educational and pub
lcity work.
The league will strike not only at
the candidacy OF all vets seeking pub
lie office, but will bend every effort to
! prevent the repeal or notification of
the existing prohibition laws.
Called Reply to Vets.
DIR. +. Scott Mcbride. general super
intendent If the league, in announcing
the plans for general campaign
against all wet candidates, said:
1--WE believe that such a program
Is the best answer the Anti-Saloon
League can make to the efforts of the
VETS who are seeking to curb our
activities by stopping the financial
support of our friends. Instead of lay
ing down we are doubling our efforts.
The ARRANGEMENTS made today by the
executive committee call for a finan-
cial campaign that will double its
budget during the next two years
through the forthcoming presidential
campaign.
DR. Mcbride made it clear that the
announcement of the special supple
mental fund means that a strenuous
campaign will he Waged against the
candidacy of Gov Alfred Z. Smith OF
New York, Gov. Albert c. Ritchie of
Maryland and Senator James A. Reed
of Missouri for the Democratic nomi-
nation for President and against DR..
Nicholas Murray Butler, president of
Columbia University, for the Republi-
can nomination.
Applies to All Candidates.
"Any other candidate who does not
stand foursquare on prohibition"
will also be opposed by the league
in its campaign to nominate drys on
both the Republican and Democratic
national tickets next year. he said.
Under the announced plan for a
special campaign fund of 100000,
100000 a year for two years will be
asked for this work, the extended
campaign to be exclusive of all pro-
grams already initiated.
At present, the budget of the Ma
tional Anti-Saloon League amounts
to $450,000 per year. The special
supplemental campaign will increase
this budget to $750.000 a year for the
next two years.
Would Save VOlstead Act.
However, the main goal Of the
leagues activities win be to prevent
the repeal or notification of the
eighteenth amendment and the Vol
stead act, and to prevent the nominal
tion and election of wet candidates for
President, Congress and other offices.
Officials of the league announced
that a determined fight will be made
against any candidate of any party
who has a wet record or who favors
the repeal or notification of prohibi-
tion, and that all candidates favoring
enforcement of the prohibition laws
VIII be strongly supported.
The announcement of the Anti
Saloon Leagues campaign to prevent
the nomination of wet candidates for
President and for membership in the
Senate and House will be regarded by
the drys throughout the country as a
call to battle.
Leading COntenders VETS.
Three Of the leading contenders to.
day in the fight for the Democratic
nomination for President are vets,
Smith of New York, Reed of Missouri
and Ritchie of Maryland They will
have the delegations from the South
in the next Democratic national con-
vention practically solid against
them. The South is not taking kindly
to suggestions that the prohibition
laws be modified or repealed.
The fact that he is regarded as a
wet is hurting Gov. AL Smith in the
South far more than his connection
with the Catholic Church, according
to reports from confidential sources.
For the same reason, the South will
oppose Senator Reed and Gov. Ritchie.
But Senator Reed also faces the an
tagonism of the Wilson Democrats,
who have not forgiven the Missouri
Senator for his opposition to Presi-
dent Wilson and his policies. The
feeling in many of the Southern
States against Reed is far stronger
than it is in Missouri
The Anti-Saloon League, with the
'thoroughness which has made it sue
cessful in the past in its campaigns,
is beginning the work of organization
and of raising funds far in advance of