–ALLIED DRYS–
Sale of 'Strong
Beer' at Lincoln
Air Base Flayed
...At Annual Meeting
Allied dry forces of Nebraska hear speakers denounce the alleged sale of "strong" beer near and in army bases and in the Lincoln air base in particular at the annual meeting held Tuesday at the Lincoln Y. W. C. A.
Bishop W. C. Martin of Omaha presided over a luncheon discussion which State Executive Director Harold Wilson and Dr. F. M. Gregg, severely scored the attitude of the government and army toward supplying beer to soldiers. Following the luncheon, the annual business meeting was held.
Speaking at the noon luncheon, Bishop Martin said "the day will come when legislation against the sale of beverage alcohol will be passed in our national economy, but I will not say when.
May Get "Worse."
"In all probably the situation will get a great deal worse before it gets better," he continued.
Bishop Martin said . . . "by the use of true religion and sound education it will be possible to reach and convert the individuals who, in the large, will settle this problem."
"We do not believe that we have a drunken army", State Director Wilson said, "but when the Office of War Information comes out with a statement that drinking it no longer problem because 3.2 beer is sold in the post exchanges, it is too much for the credulity of many citizens."
Calling the recent report of the OWI an "insult to the intelligence of the American public," he asserted it "seems to make the great United States government an enthusiastic endorser of beer as a beverage".
Report Unsigned.
Mr. Wilson noted that the report was unsigned and he proceeded to attack its statements (Continued on Page Ten) ALLIED DRYS
(Continued from Page One) about the varied use of drink by soldiers as contrary to fact, particularly the one that "nine percent of the service men drank hard linquor, 34 per cent drank only beer, and 57 per cent drank no intoxicating beverages whatever."
"It is a gross libel upon my son and the untold thousands of other good clean American boys in the service to accuse them of such wholesale drinking," Wilson said.
"Here in Nebraska there is no such thing as 3.2 beer," Wilson asserted, claiming that beer he had bought for analysis "ran better than 4½ to nearly 5 per cent".
Mr. Wilson said he had asked the commanding officer of the Lincoln base for the right to check the situation because, he asserted, "I am reliably informed that practically all the leading brands of beer have their concessions at the army post, and that the beer is served at 10 cents a glass for 14 ounce glasses."
More Than 4 Per Cent
Mr. Wilson, insisted that "some of the beer served at the base is stronger than 4 per cent by volume."
Dr. Gregg, discussed alcohol content of beer served in Lincoln commercially and at the air base. He said, "in a ten-cent drink of beer at the air base there is more alcohol than in an ounce glass of strong whiskey.
Officers were to be elected and resolutions adopted at an afternoon meeting.
Present officers of the state organization are:
Bishop Martin, president; George A. Williams, Fairmont, first vice president; Dean R. A. Lyman, Lincoln, second vice president; Rev. W. C. Rundin, Wahoo, secretary; D. B. Marti, Lincoln, treasurer; Dr. C. H. Walcott, Lincoln, chairman executive committee and Harold Wilson, state executive director.
