were abolished in favor of voluntary contributions any society might wish to make to the league, and in the second place, societies were authorized to send as many delegates as they wished to the league meetings, which resulted in a far greater participation in these meetings and also brought other organizations, the churches and the Kaleva Order, for example, into active participation in temperance work. The first elected chairman of the Minnesota League was J. E. Isotalo, with Toivo Hattu serving as secretary, Maria Järvelä as treasurer, and J. W. Lilius and Kaarlo Nikkilä being members of the board. However, the chairman and treasurer both soon left for Finland and were replaced by Esa Torkko and Kalle Steckman. Later chairmen have been John Hassi, Frans Koski, Olavi Laulaja, Alex Keto, Jacob Rajala, J. E. Laukka, Sam Koskela, Conrad Mattson, John Romppainen, Gust Gustafson, Charles Sandberg, J. E. Isotalo and Väinö Alfred Salo. Almost every year the Minnesota League, either on its own or in cooperation with the Brotherhood Association, sent temperance speakers to tour the state. The first of these was Heikki Moilanen, and others who followed included Ivar Ahonen, Alma Hinkkanen (Mrs. Lipsanen), Risto Lappala, Matti Lehtonen, Hilma Hamina, Salomon Ilmonen, A. J. Jalkanen, Matti Kokkonen, Vera Tiura, Minnie P. Mäki, John Wargelin, Marja Salmela, Onni Syrjäniemi, Milma Lappala and Matti Helenius-Seppälä.

In 1941 the Minnesota League joined the American temperance organization of the state, the Minnesota Temperance Movement, to which belonged a dozen or so temperance groups of various nationality backgrounds. This membership has strengthened the Finnish-American movement and at the same time has put it in a position to participate in legislative matters of state-wide interest.

Before the enactment of Prohibition, the Finns were almost unanimously supporters of the Anti-Saloon League. The only significant exception was in Minnesota, where most of the temperance-minded Finnish-Americans supported candidates of the Prohibition Party. In the final weeks, when the constitutional amendment was up for consideration, all the Finnish newspapers carried big advertisements, warning the temperance-minded not to be satisfied with the war-time restrictions which had been put upon alcoholic beverages : these restrictions would be removed when the war was over, and without an amendment to the constitution "many of our boys, who have fought so bravely against the enemy, will be victims of the saloons, will become drunkards and will die a shameful death, a sadder death than if they had fallen in war. Make Minnesota dry - make America dry." When

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