Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-07
DR.. WILSON FIGHTS
DRY REORGAN|Z|NG
Improved Enforcement With
Support of Anti-Saloon
League Favored.

Suggestions that the Anti-SAloon
League be disbanded to make way for
a dry organization backed by leaders
Of commerce drew vigorous opposition
today from DR.. Clarence True Wilson,
secretary of the Methodist Board OF
Temperance.
The same view was advanced last
night by DR.. Wilson at rally Of the
Anti-Saloon League In Calvary Baptist
Church, Eighth and H streets. An
when the aSSemblage accorded an cva-
ton to Mrs. Mabel Walker Willebrandt,
former Assistant Attorney General in
Charge Of Prohibition and now counsel
for grape concentrate concern.
New Theory Is Attacked.
celebrating on his speech, DR.. VIII
son struck back at the advocates OF
the Anti-Saloon League reorganization
in a bristling manner. He warned
against any breakdown in educational
activities in the belief that the active
support of such men as Henry Ford
and Thomas A. Edison was to be OBJ
tanned.
"The Anti-saloon League" DR.. VIII
son declared, SIS the best organization,
the best equipped and the best manned
group ever gotten together to lead the,
temperance forces. 1t Is backed by all
denominations of the churches. 1t is
better financed than any other move
ment for reform.
Those highbrows who talk theoreti-
cally about an ideal organization ought
to show us how practical that could be
by organizing one out of the group they
prefer. They will ind that these
wealthy men are very slow to put them
selves where they will be misrepreSented
and boycotted daily and that men who
have spent q lifetime getting are not
practiced IN the art OF sacrificing and
giving.
Constructive Actions Urged.
"At any rate, I would advise that
they do not shoot in the back the or
CARNATIONS and people now up on the
firing line, while awaiting the coming
of the ideal leaders. Besides, 1T VIII
be more difhcult to get these individuals
to take our shoes If they see those
of us who are up there already shot
to pieces"
organizations In every State, Dr.. wilson
contended the proper course would be
to strengthen these units. The dry,
leader added the prohibition situation
throughout the country rs lar better
since the elections than in the six
months before"
Among the other speakers last night
were Prohibition Director Woodcock,
alcohol and F. Scott Mcbride, Supertn-
tendent of the Anti-Saloon League.
The meeting was one Of the thou
sand and one" dinners to be given by
the leagues Manufacture and Business
Committee to enroll fresh support from
business men for the prohibition cause,
with the goal set at 10000 men and
$4,000
Mrs. Willebrandt, who recently has
been attacked by some drys for her con-
nection with the grape industry, said
she had been given intellectual
nausea" by some efforts to under
mine faith In the eighteenth amend
ment" It was one Of her FIRST public
statements concerning prohibition IN
nearly a year.
Sees Improved Enforcement.
''In the year and half have been
out Of public once" she said, have
observed q confusion as to the strength
Of the conviction lying back Of pro-
hibition and an increase in the con-
vocational assaults upon it. Those
who look back upon other great move
nnents must be moved to feel there will
be no change, no lesSening, no weak
ening of its enforcement"
Prohibition Director Woodcock said
he felt much more optimistic" than
when he took Office six months ago.
Most Of the real criticism against
prohibition" he continued, "is not
against the theory of the law but
against unfortunate incidents in its
enforcement These irttationS to the
public can be eliminated. said, and I
mean Il, that we intend to make the
prohibition personnel the best trained
and most loyal body Of investigators in
the world.
at hope you will see the sanity Of our
selection Of the commercial violator Of
prohibition as the real objective OF
Federal enforcement rather than the
petty, private violator. He must be
taken care of through education"
Coming Years Called Test.
DR.. Doran warned that "the next two
or three years will witness the test OF
whether or not our Government can en-
force its prohibition laws" The said
the Government was "perfecting its en-
forcement machinery, but 1t is up to the
organized dry organizations to support
morale behind the law until this Is
done.
THE time has come" Mcbride said,
"to fix primary responsibility for I'M
satisfactory conditions wherever they
exist upon the local ofilcials who have
primary enforcement duties. When
this is done 1t will relieve much of the
court congestion now prevalent and 20
long way toward solving the perplex-
ing crime problem"