Evening star., 1929-12-04
DIR. WILSON GIVES
PURPOSE OF BOARD
Group to Maintain Interest in
All Moral Reforms, Sec-
retary Says.

In a statement regarded as an an
! swer to critics, DR.. Clarence True Will
son, general secretary of the Board OF
/ Temperance, Prohibition and Public
Morals of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, declared in his annual report
! today that the board will maintain its
| interest in every moral reform"
The board held its annual meeting In
! the Methodist Building. 100 Maryland
avenue northeast. Bishop William F.
Mcdowell, president Of the board, pre-
sided.
Although not taking cognizance of an
antagonism to what has been described
as the boards political activity, DR.
! Wilson emphatically pledged that the
board would continue to make use OF
minds and the hearts Of the people
through puplit, platform. press, home
and school,"
Favors Sheppard Dry Law.
He advocated passage of the Shep-
pard BILL which would make the pur-
chaser of liquor amenable to the pro-
churches to bring every Christian man
and woman to the polls at every elec-
tion," special days of prayer for the
success of prohibition and periodic SER
mons on the evils of alcohol.
Describing prohibition as the great.
est moral success of any adventure OF
the age" DR.. Wilson asked for 1t "as
fair a chance and as long time to
show the world what 1t can do as, the
license system had"
1T has never had fair chance until
now" he said. 1T never could have
until we elected President on the di-
rect issue of strict and impartial and
,incompromising observance and en-
forcement of prohibition, who will de-
termine to cali out all the resources Of
this Republic before he will sit in the
White House swivel chair and see the
Constitution of our country trampled
upon by q gang Of aliens who affect to
despise u.s."
Raising No White Flag"
DR.. Wilson asserted that the church
puts up no white flag today" Refer
ring to the last presidential campaign,
he said the church took its life and its
popularity after its influence in its
hands last year and went out to meet
the Goliath Of the liquor trafhc and 1t
won"
He attacked political vets" as hypo-
critics THE sworn ofiicial who deals
with bootleggers has perjured himself"
he declared, degraded his public honor
and is not At for public service"
Cites Economy Of Operation.
Regarding the activities Of the board
in the last presidential campaign, DR..
Wilson said that that the twentieth
year of the board just closing, has
been q year of strict and close economy
in the handling OF money to make q
little go a great way"
THE propaganda In certain papers
that we are rolling In wealth and spent
three million for the defeat Of Gov.
Smith, IL reduced to facts. would show
that we received last year but $l0l 900,
from the world service and that We did
not spend a dollar in the so-called
anti-Smith campaign.
What we did in that was in the line
of our regular work." he continued.
I'VE spoke and wrote, offered resolu-
tions and enlisted helpers where we
were going anyway, and the reports to
the contrary evaporated into thin air
when the Justice Department looked
into them
Speaking of the organization Of the
Temperance Society of the church into
the Board OF Temperance and Prohibi-
ton with the enactment OF the
eighteenth amendment, DR.. Wilson said:
Church at Home in Fight.
1.-THE church was just as much at
home in fighting the liquor trafflc as 1t
was reScuing the individual drunkard
, and saving the personal drinker. There
have been various people, generally on
the other side from us, who are exceed
ingly anxious that the church should
keep to the personal work of rescuing
drunkards and saving sinners, but do
nothing about the conditions that make
those characters.
THE church has had many free lee
lures as to its spiritual functions in
this regard. Most notable were those Of
Alfred Emanuel Smith and Mr.. Raskob,
who once informed the ministry of the
Protestant church that If they did not
cease activities on the prohibition sit
uation he would see that the wealthy
men withdrew their support from their
salaries. If had to prove to the world
that the Church of Christ is not dead
| or dying or recreant or Indifferent to
the worlds needs. could think Of no
| more striking example that it Is alive
and alert. conscientious and constructive
as to present-day needs than its his
tortc adventure in committing itself
with all its interests and influence, Its
popularity and its prospects to the pro-
hibition of the liquor trafic in the
United States and its announced pro-
gram of extending 1t around the world"
Talks on Dry Senators.
Referring further to the 1928 elec-
ton, Wilson said. "a certain Senator
! went around saying he could put all the
| dry Senators in Washington in a taxi
cab, but the election of 1923 came and
the taxicab was found too small to hold
| the 81 bone-dry Senators whom the
people had sent to Washington. so we
used 1t to accommodate on their home
Maryland. Bayard Of Delaware, Edwards
| OF New Jersey and Gerry of Rhode Is
land whose constant plants have be.
come the lost chord In the strains of
music to which we had become accus-
toned"
NOVEMBER FINES $3,749