Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-21
PRESSA|DS POSTAL /
+. WAR ONLOTTER|ES.
Three Organizations Lauded
for Barring Sweepstakes
News From Service.
sy the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
The Associated Press, International
News Service and the United Press have
assured the Post ONCE Department
they viii cooperate fully in its effort
to free the. mails Of unlawful matter
concerning sweepstakes lotteries.
The announcement was made todAy
ny Arch Coleman, Acting Postmaster
General. It said:
These news associations hereafter
sill not distribute to their members and
,Sients matter relating to sweepstakes
satteries-either in stories or photo
graphs-just as they always have re
drained from handling matter relating
70 the numerous other kinds Of foreign
lotteries patronized by players in this
country.
by this action these organizations
make easier the task of this DEPART
ment, which must exclude from the
mails. as the law directs, newspapers
which carry matter relating to these
lotteries. The law also requires US TO
subject to prosecution persons depSSit-
ing or causing to be deposited in the
mails newspapers in which such matter
appears.
Action Is Commended.
''The action of these national and In
ternational news-gathering associations
is to be commended. It Is notice on
their part that the newspapers they
serve will not hereafter be supplied
with information regarding the oper-
alton of foreign sweepstakes and car
ries the hope that such information win
not be obtained from any other source,
reliable or otherwise, and attempted to
be printed.
Just recently it was developed in the
case Of one of these foreign sweep
stakes that the promoters, in an en-
deavor to advertise their lottery through
newspaper publicity, had employed for
pay press agent in this country to fur
nish newspapers with copy Of what pur-
ported to be news dealing with various
features Of their enterprise.
This effective cooperation on the
parts OF these great pres associations IN
upholding the laws Of this country,
which are being so fiagrantly violated by
persons abroad in their eagernesS TO col
fect heavy toll from American citizens,
viii, it is hoped, bring about condi-
ton which win justify the Post Once
Department in refraining from the
drastic action which It otherwise would
be forced to take.
Arrests Already Made.
Already a number Of arrests have
been made of persons In this country
operating what purported to be foreign
sweepstakes, or acting as agents there
of.
THE large number G: newspapers
which have editorially expressed their
views against this lottery trafic since
the Post once Department started Its
recent campaign are to be commended
for their cooperation. Their enlighten-
ment of the general public on the sub
ject will undoubtedly do much to pre-
vent an enormous economic loss to their
fellow citizens estimated to amount TO
not less than q quarter Of billion Of
dollars in the last six months.
Sensing that this country Is fertile
field in which to operate, new sweep
stakes schemes enanating from foreign
countries are appearing almost daily,
and the Post once Department has
been promptly issuing fraud orders
against them in Austria, Bermuda, Can
ada, China, Colombia, Cuba, England,
Germany, irish Free State. Ldechten-
stein, Mexico. Newfoundland, and Swift
Eerland."