Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-12
SOCIETY WOMEN BACK DRY LAW,
DECLARES MRS. STRAWBRIDGE
Social Climbers Are Respon-
sibIe for Liquor Serving,
She Finds.
Older Families Also DisCov.
cred Largely Favoring
Prohibition.
By FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Prohibition observance Is on the
march In the homes of the country.
despite the political triunphs OF the
vets In many sections, according to
Mrs. George II. Strawbridge of Phila-
delpt1ia, leader in the movement to
popularize dry social functions. At the
end Of q two-year crusade in that di.
rection, Mrs. Strawbridge reports that
-four out Of every five" social leaders
approached by her have "enthusiastical-
ly accepted the suggestion"
Hosts and hostesses, who used 70
angle for guests with cocktails ana
mint irleps, with other liquid induce
ments to follow, are finding It In
creasingly unnecessary, Mrs. Straw
bridge saws, TO serve liquor. She be-
lieves that the power of example In
high places" as typihed by these de-
velopnients, is destined to be Of far
reaching influence in making prohibit
ton effective.
Analyses Dry Sentiment.
In an interview Mrs. Strawbridge
brings out the interesting point that
it is the colder families OF America
who are becoming the bulwarks OF the
dry cause. Also, she discloses. II Is
noteworthy that the Middle West and
West are more inclined to take the
lead in setting dry examples than the
East, especially the big seaboard cities.
There is definite significance in
this aspect Of Mrs. Strawbridge's re-
turns from the identical letter she ad-
dressed to outstanding women all over
the country. The significance lies IN
the fact that when the vets point to
events in places like New York, New
Jersey and Massachusetts,, and depict
them as handwriting on the political
wall, the drys retort by claiming that
their stronghold is, and always has
been, beyond the Alleghanies and be-
low Mason and Dixon's line.
In other words, the drys contend that
in a Nationwide referendum on the
eighteenth amendment they could view
the loss of the East and the more
populous regions Of the Middle West
without alarm. The dry majority, they
boast, would continue to reside in the
South and West, leaving the amend
ment secure and safe.
Newcomers Mostly Wet.
Possibly the most arresting thing
about my responses" says Mrs. Straw
bridge. lis the fact that the older fami-
lies not only register a higher ration OF
acceptance of my propoSal-that peo-
pie In position to do so should set the
dry example In their own homes and
at their own tables-but also seem more
enthusiastic than late-comers into our
national and social life.
II consider the circumstance that
these older families are mostly resident
in the West important in a very special
way. In most cases Middle Western
and Western leaders have longer line
Of American ancestry. They are Of the
covered wagon pioneer stock. Their
American origin traces back farther
than many Of those in the forefront Of
social life In some of our Eastern cities.
For this reason these families, long
established, do not feel any need OF
keeping up with the Joneses' They do
not have TO resort to conventional or
artificial resources to give interest to
the social affairs they sponsor. They do
not feel that an evening In their homes