In January of this year delegates from every part of the United States and from Canada assembled in Washington, D.C. for the first National Convention of the American Temperance Society. The expert opinion and counsel of twelve guest speakers brought in especially for the convention provided the delegates with up-to-date information on the scientific, educational, judicial, and social approach to the alcohol problem.
J. Lamar McElhany opened the four-day convention with a dynamic address challenging Adventists to cast aside "the spirit of complacency," and take their God-appointed position as leaders in the temperance crusade. Graphically he showed how the terrible evil of liquor can affect the innocent; he stressed the fact that drunkards get their training in the school of moderation; and he emphasized the importance of the historic &nominational position of total abstinence. Calling for all of our people to arouse to meet the challenge of the rising consumption of alcoholic beverages, Elder McElhany said, "Everybody must be called into action. The emergency of the situation, my friends, demands united action."
Dr. Haven Emerson, distinguished professor emeritus of Public Health of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, outlined the findings of the men of science which had a direct bearing upon the alcohol problem. Judge Joseph T. Zottoli, associate justice of Boston Municipal Court and chairman of the special commission to investigate the problem of drunkenness, used charts and graphs to illustrate "The Relation of Alcoholism to Crime, Disease, and Pauperism." Dr. George W. Crane, Chicago psychologist, columnist, and radio commentator, emphasized the mob psychology and stampede-action influence to which our youth today are being subjected in meeting the social pressure to drink alcoholic beverages. Dr. Crane's address was delivered in Constitution Hall at a mass meeting commemorating the rebirth of the American Temperance Society. All the other meetings were held in the Sligo church, Takoma Park.
In addition to these authorities not directly connected with temperance associations, the delegates were thrilled with the address by Mr. Sam Morris, of San Antonio, Texas, who has continued "The Voice of Temperance" broadcast over American and Mexican radio stations and networks since 1935. Experienced temperance leaders gave practical instruction on educational and legislative procedure. Howard E. Hamlin, of Columbus, Ohio, former professor at Simmons College and Harvard and now serving as supervisor of Health and Narcotic Education with the Department of Education for the State of Ohio, gave a demonstration of temperance education procedure as conducted in the public school classroom.
Mrs. Carolyn Brooks, M.A., chairman of the Alcohol Education Committee of Greater New York and author of the syllabus, Beverage Alcohol, stressed the need of up-to-date methods of temperance education and spoke of the value of visual aids. O. G. Christgau, of Minnesota, the experienced former national field secretary of the Anti-Saloon League, discussed the subtle intrigues of the liquor industry as they are carried on behind what he called the "brown glass curtain." He pointed out that if the home and school and church would combine their efforts, the government would soon take steps to curtail the liquor industry.
Major Clayton Wallace, former member of the New Hampshire State Legislature and now general superintendent of the Temperance League of America, dealt with the problem of liquor advertising; and Edward B. Dunford, attorney for the Temperance League, discussed local, State, and national prohibition from the liquor viewpoint. Walter J. Hoshal, general superintendent of the National Anti-Saloon League of Kentucky and local option expert, outlined the main prerequisites for successful local option organization. Dr. Laurence Senseman, director of the Fuller Memorial Sanitarhim in Massachusetts, discussed the psychiatric viewpoint of the alcoholic personality. Dr. Wayne McFarland, editor of Life and Health, presented the cigarette problem.
In addition, our own denominational leaders gave some excellent material at the devotional periods. Elders Arthur White, L. E. Froom, E. W. Dunbar, and W. B. Ochs brought out many inspirational and educational thoughts which were greatly appreciated.
Lectures, open-forum discussions, workshops, and radio interviews—all added to the interest. The evening workshops provided demonstrations of the drunkometer, the use of the flannelgraph in temperance education, and chemical experiments demonstrating the harmful effects of tobacco. Temperance films were shown after each evening meeting. Eleven standing committees met each day to consider definite plans for enlarging and strengthening our field of activity.
Several visual aids were displayed at the convention that doubtless will be of interest to our workers in general. We are listing some of these here, together with a few other items.
One of the main objectives of the Temperance Department is to ,provide practical aids for our evangelists and pastors to use in temperance education, temperance advertising, and temperance promotion. As spiritual leaders, we can mold community opinion by taking advantage of all opportunities to address service organizations, churches, clubs, high schools, and colleges. There are temperance education materials which we can place in the hands of our members. By voice, pen, and vote they can make their influence tell for total abstinence and prohibition. Current materials available are as follows:
Items Available to Our Workers
I. THE AUTO PLAQUE. The auto plaque is metal plate cut in the shape of the insigne of the American Temperance Society, upon which appears the motto, "Total Abstinence, Not Moderation, Reduces Accidents." These words are reflectorized and illuminous at night. The plaque may be purchased for one dollar from the American Temperance Society.
2. TEMPERANCE SLIDES. The department has arranged to have factual graphs and illustrations appearing in Listen made in 2-by-2-inch slides for use by our workers in temperance talks and classroom education. The objective is to build a library of temperance slides which will grow with each issue of our magazine. Lists of slides available may be secured from the Temperance Department.
3. LIQUOR-AD STICKERS. These come in gummed label style and are used to protest against liquor advertisements in newspapers and magazines. A reader pastes an appropriate sticker on an advertisement clipped from the newspaper, signs his or her name and address to the label, and mails it by first-class mail to the editor or publishers of the journal.
4. RADIO LIQUOR ADVERTISEMENT PROTEST CARDS. We are having prepared cards, postcard size, with a cartoon illustration on the back, a statement protesting the advertising of alcoholic beverages over the radio, and a place for the individual to sign his name and address.
5. "LISTEN" REPRINTS. From time to time special features of Listen will appear as reprints. We have in stock and available for the field a number of reprints of the statistical feature, "The City Americans Might Have Built," which appeared in the first issue of Listen. This has been revised, and the 1947 increase in liquor costs have been added, bringing it up to date. These may be secured in quantity lots at the rate of three dollars a hundred.
6. CONVENTION MANUSCRIPTS. We have a limited supply of extra manuscripts of the principal addresses delivered at the American Temperance Society Convention. These are available as long as they last to any who make practical use of them. Anyone wishing them kindly address request to the editor of Listen.
7. MISSIONARY SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR "LISTEN." As you know, the publishers are making Listen available at fifty cents a subscription for missionary subscriptions to ten or more addresses. This is to make it possible for every church to supply Listen to the public officials in the city government, to leading educators, judges, physicians, and other prominent community leaders.
One of the delegates to the convention called attention to the sixteen-page bimonthly, The Foundation Says, issued by the American Business Men's Research Foundation, 53 W. Jackson Boulevard, Chicago 4, Illinois (subscription price, $1). This was recommended as good source material for factual information.
In additional to the foregoing, broad plans have been laid to launch an outdoor advertising campaign across the nation. It is hoped that billboard copy production will be in full swing by this fall. Other plans call for material suitable for temperance programs and radio scripts. The department is planning for a school of alcoholic studies as a leading national project. It is hoped that this may be started in 1950.
