Evening star., 1953-08-28
; Clubs Seek
ABC Licenses
Under New Act
Six Bottle Tuverns
Close Tonight as
Law Takes Effect

NIuL1G ACG C6dCIlCu tIlC f11COI1OI1C
Beverage Control Board today.
Six District bottle clubs, mean
while, were scheduled to close up
by midnight in the wake of a
Federal Court decision refusing
to enjoin the city government
from carrying out the terms of
the act as it applies to them.
Deputy Police Chief Howard
Covell said Inspector Roy Blick
of the Morals Division will be
in charge of group of plain
clothesmen and precinct officers
going out tonight to observe re-
sponse to the new law. Also on
the job will be 1t. Todd Thoman,
head of the bootleg and liquor
squad.
Under the regulations, clubs
must obtain licenses from the
ABC Board before drinking is
allowed on the premises In ad-
dition, the licensees must abide
by the 2 am. drink deadline
regulations.
Three Licenses Sought.
Applying for licenses today
were the Sphinx Club on the
third floor of Almas Temple,
1915 K street NV; the Variety
Club, Tent No. IL, in the Will
lard Hotel, and the Touchdown
Club, 1412 I street NV.
Prospective licensees must
show, in their applications. that
the club was established at least
three months before filing of
the application, that the club is
a non-profit organization and
that it does not conflict with
moral turpitude provisions of
the law.
All three clubs applying today
are we'll established. The Sphinx
Club was organized in 1914. the
Variety Club in 1884, and the
Touchdown Club in 1910.
Charitable Clubs.
The Sphinx Club was de-
scribed by one Of it's officials as
a non-prof1t, charitable, frater-
nal organization catering to
members of Almas Temple as
we'll as to visiting Shriners
from out of town. He said past
practice of the club has been to
stay closed on Sundays and to
close at midnight weekdays, and
the same policy probably will
continue. Edmund o. Carl Is
president of the club corporation.
The Variety Club, which lists
500 members, operates as a
charitable organization catering
to persons in the entertainment
field. It's principal charity was
described as rehabilitation of
crippled children. 1t has con-
tributed funds to build Carter
T. Barron wing for Children's
Hospital. Victor j. Orsinger is
corporation president.
The Touchdown Club is de-
scribed in it's application as char
liable, non-prof1t and for the
purpose of promoting good
sportsmanship and greater in
terest in the game of football. 1t
claims more than TOO members.
Ralph E. Shaughnessy is corpor-
alton president.
Judge Rejects Injunction.
Yesterdays court decision re-
fuSing an injunction against the
District to six bottle clubs was
made by Judge James r. Kirk
land in the United States District
Court for the District of Colum-
bia.
Judge Kirkland went out of
his way to lash the bottle clubs
as moral cesspools" and can
cerous sores in the side of the
District Governments
ut is high time the District
closed these moral cesspools, "
he declared. They have ex-
listed too long"
At another point, Judge Kirk
land asserted that anyone would
have to be born yesterday" to be-
lieve that bottle clubs are pa
tronized only by "well-mannered
people" who go there for nip
out of their own bottles.
Origin of Evil.
Here he referred to "the evil
that has flowed from these So
called bottle clubs" He said
they have been "a cancerous sore
in the side of the Government of
the District :"
Attorney Mark Friedlander
representing the clubs argued
that the section of the omnibus
law referring to the clubs was il
legal. The section, in part, de-
clared that any place where in
toxicants are consumed in vio-
lation of the act, is nuisance"
and may be prosecuted as such
Mr.. Friedlander said this was
an illegal attempt to create a
nuisance" where none hereto
fore existed.
No Ruling on Issue.
Judge Kirkland indicated he
did not agree with Mr.. Fried
lander on this point. although
he did not rule directly on that
issue.
He refused an injunction to
one club, the Stage Door Social
Club. 1900 block of Fourteenth
street NV, on the grounds that
it had not been Incorporated for
three months when it sought
a license.
He refused injunctions to the
other five clubs because, he held,
they had not exhausted ad-
ministrative remedies before
coming to court since they had
not applied for licenses.
These five clubs are: The Lyre
Club, 900 block of Twelfth street
NV; the Sportsmen'S Club, 400
block of Ninth street NV; the
Sunrise Club, 1900 block Four
taaofb street NV. rlI1h 725