Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-10
ORDER TO DRY Up"
BOSTON IS ISSUED
Vets and Prohibitionists Bit
terIy Debate Conditions
During Legion Session.

6y the Associated Press.
BOSTON, October 10.-Orders were
out today to dry up" Boston as vets
and drys engaged In bitter debate to
ix the responsibility for liquor condi-
ditions during the American Legion
Convention which resulted in the deaths
Of four and necessitated the treatment
Of $50 persons in Boston hospitals.
Jonathan, Lewis, Federal prohibition
administrator for New England. issued
orders for q cleanup by his agents
after Paul T. Leary, Little Falls, N. Y,
legionnaire, had been fined $3.50 in
Federal Court for bootlegging. Leary,
agents said, had In his possession 10
quarts Of liquor. "A search Of his hotel
room revealed liquor price lists and let
tiers and kilograms concerning the de-
livery of liquor from Miami, Fla.
Scores Of cases Of temporary blind
ness and paralysis were reported at the
City Hospital, the Legion hospital in
the cadet armory and the Haymarket
relief station. Hundreds Of cases, hos
pital officials said, had been treated in
their out-patient departments. It was
believed that the total treated since last
Saturday night would run Close to 600
persons.
Called Police Affair.
Lewis denied having a hands of"
policy for the Legion Convention and
said the arrest of intoxicated persons
was purely local police function He
in Ia
on the Legion, stating that it was APP
parent that there had been an effort on
the part Of liquor peddlers to capitalize
the big celebration.
1T would have been impossible" he
said, "for us to have attempted to police
9 crowd Of 2,5o0,00o people. That Is
for Others"
Physicians at hospitals said two Of
the four deaths could be attributed to
excessive use Of solidified alcohol used
FOR heating and added that they believed
the majority Of those treated were not
legionnaires.
Two victims Of solidified alcohol were
Charles Henry, 48-year old disabled
veteran, and his wife, Mildred, Medical
Examiner George 3. Magrath said.
Big Rum Profits Seen.
Conrad Croker. general counsel for
the big boys" of the rum trade In
Boston had cleaned UP fortunes dur
ing the week Of the convention. An
swering Mrs. Henry w. Peabody, ma.
tional chairman of the Women's En-
forcement Committee, who criticized
the Legion and police for wet condi-
lions, Croker said: 1.-THE Legion party
was unanswerable evidence of the eff
fects of the use and sale of liquor, the
defiance of authority and the corrupt
ing influences due to prohibition.
Arthur j. Davis, superintendent Of
the Anti-Saloon League, called "the re-
gretful occurrences" Of the week "spo-
radio affairs" He said. II do not
think that the regretfui occurrences
should lead to any general condemna-
ton of the Legion"
Retiring National Comdr o. L.
Bodenhamer referred to communica-
ton from the Boston police which said,
"ths misconductS were astonishingly
few and the disorders were caused by
persons who had attached themselves to
the convention and were not Legion
men"
Delegates Are Leaving.
Exodus of the 1900 delegates and
upward of 100000 visitors was in full
swing today. The final session of the
convention saw the election and In
stallation Of Ralph T. dyke O'Neil,
Harvard graduate and Topeka, Kans,
lawyer, as national commander in sue
cession to o. L. Bodenhamer, FL Dorado.
Ark, real. estate and oil man; the
naming of five vice commanders and
the election Of Rev. Joe Barnett.
Episcopalian, Of Oshkosh, Wis, as ma
tional chaplain.
Besides the choosing of officers, two
other matters of Importance were dis
posed by of the Legion before it struck
tent to meet next year in Detroit. It
defeated an attempt by the New York
State delegation to place 1t on record
AGAINST prohibition and it downed by
an overwhelming majority proposal
to petition Congress to order the inn
mediate payment Of adjusted compen-
sation certificates up to 80 per cent
Of their face value.