Evening star., 1937-05-17
UNITED DRYS FIGHT.
WEAKEN|NG0 Of BAN
Will Continue War on Sales
Near Churches and
Schools.

sale Of Intoxicating liquors within 400
feet OF churches and schools, the
United Dry Forces of the District of
Columbia last night protested ANY
weakening changes in the present
local liquor regula tons"
The United Drys, in their third ami
versary celebration at Metropolitan
Baptist Church, adopted a resolution
which specifically objected ito the
proposal to permit liquor selling estab-
lishments near churches and schools" !"
There is no possible excuse for this
proposed invasion by the liquor traffic
OF the few remaining dry zones at the
Nations Capital" said the resolution
introduced by Capt. Edward Page
Castor, land only the Unsuitable greed
OF the anti-social dealers in alcoholic
poison can be served by this threatened
final surrender to the liquor interests" :"
Accuse A. B. C. Board.
The resolution was forwarded to the
District Commissioners. 1t charged
that the movement to bring liquor
sales closer to churches and schools
was sponsored by the Alcoholic Bev-
erage Control Board.
With this action the organized drys
OF the city launched into another year
Of work, striving for a return of pro-
hibition. despite the frank declaration
by Representative U. S. Guyer OF
Kansas that his bill to restore pro-
hibition to this city had no chance Of
being brought up in the House. He
told the gathering he would work
ceaselessly for its passage if there
were chance, but he said that with
Mrs. Mary Norton, chairman Of the
District Committee, an "anti-prohibi-
zionist" and Representative Palmisano
of Maryland, an avoWed wet, in charge
Of the measure, the District of Colum-
bia dry bill was merely sleeping in
committee"
Criticizing the drinking of alcoholic
beverages by women, Guyer said.
We've got worse saloon in the
country now than we ever had, despite
the promise of the vets that the saloon
would not come back"
Traffic Toll Deplored.
One Of the worst results Of repeal
Guyer said, was the fatalities from
drunken drivers and drunken pedes-
trians.
DR.. Everett NJ Ellison, president OF
the United Drys, who presided. re-
! viewed the past three years Of the
organization and declared its creed to
be total abstinence for the indi-
vidual and prohibition for the Nation
and the world"
The organization is fighting for four
pieces of pending legislation, he said
The Guyer bill, to restore prohibition
to this city; the Capper- -Culkin bill, to
regulate radio advertising of liquor
and two proposed bills, one ito compel
liquor dealers to take care of their
victims" and the other q measure to
"curb drunken driving"
Repeal, he said. had brought dire
results. among which he listed the
/ sale Of rum by the Government.
Crime Records Cited.
He quoted J. Edgar Hoover of the
Federal Bureau OF Investigation as
saying recently the past three years
constituted the most criminal period
in the life Of America" He read from
a report by the F. B. I. showing that
more crimes were committed through
out the United States during the first
| quarter Of this year than during the
corresponding quarter of 1886" The
| Virginia State Liquor Board was quoted
as reporting that Virginians poured
more than $60, ,000, 900 into legal liquor
channels, while arrests for drunken
driving have more than doubled since
the State began the sale Of liquor"
Mrs. Earle Wiley announced the
world convention Of the Women's S
Christian Temperance Union, June
to 8, when representatives are ex-
pected here, she said, from 81 countries
Clinton N. Howard, superintendent
| Of the International Reform Fedora
ton, predicted that I'VE will win the
battle against the bottle when we get
the church on the dry side Of the
fight"
DR.. John Compton Ball, pastor OF
Metropolitan Baptist Church, intro
duced DR.. Ellison, who presided.