The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-11
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
GROWING ALARM OYER THE co
SUMPTION or DRINK. y.

France Now the Most Incorporate of CIV
| iliZed Nations Efforts OF Physiciana
| Students and Others to Effect Reforms
| Temperance Work in European Countrfe
PARIS. June 3-Public attention Is being fore
| IDLY directed Just at present to the aggressive
| campaign against intemperanca which 10 betni
| carried on In nearly every country on the CONT
| nrnt. and especially In France. The advance u
| this country Is unique OF its kind. as Their
| never before has been any general movement
| OF n national nature. The French have beef
| wont to look upon themselves good exam
| pies Of moderation while they gave their pit
to Germany and England as horrible example
| ofpeopc who drink too much. Butnow DR.. La
| borde has informed the French that they are TIN
| most Incorporate Of all the civilized peoples OF
| earth. and gives science and figures to proveH
| When this announcement was made tn
| French told the doctor that he was mistaken
| and the newspapers published columns ofin
| diRnant protest against tho charge-and inves
| tigated as n second thought. Then thee
| changed their confident note. for In a series q
articles prepared by NJ. Corney OF tho Fienti
| it is shown that close to fifteen ltres. aboU
| sixteen quarts Of alcohol Is consumed everi
| year fUrcach Of the 3SOOO.OOO people In the 70
| public. The French find that instead OF head
| ing the alcoholic list. Germany and the Britisf
| Islands come third and fourth. as BELGIUM
takes second place after France. but will
nearly one-third less in its per capita con.
sumption Fifth in the list Ia Switzerland. ,ths
| home OF ahsinthe. and then. in the ordel
named. there follow Italy. Holland. the Unitet
States. sweden. Norway and Canada Norway
the nJ the S M %y m Pc SS%
| ton with per capita average OF over tive
| litrcS year. w
Most reforms. Of whatever kind. may b
| counted upon to have a humble beginniuR,
thence to work upward among the people, Bui
l9ctual France, iiaadIne the movement j. Pc
France. who is President OF the National ANTI
A4rShSs mds srEGe ca sHa rtiGr Fl TEN
active adiutents S are iorty-two doctors
nearly all Of, whom are men OF wide
President Under the stimulus from their
France 's shon
up the campaign. They have organized q
Of a ha a a6nS nmder the ~H eadersRp
Georges Barley. who is AN advocate at law
actively conuectSsd with the defence, in Tie
movement reached that It is extending TO
other countries, notably, to Switzerland, whore
at Lausanne. Basic and Zurich.
Drinking shonS in the poorer quarters Of
wh12 have hrayed The nlpRing air to k!l The re
drink. The use of neat drinks is steadily
growing. 80 fierce is the appetite for the
chemists TO sell miethylated spirits only, IL
sqorea form whch frnm that they
Is they drink e ether. in the he; north q
%h"2c eToene oil apf n sfs aSogh
SSnS Of 'siFGs Il
republic While the fishermen and male peas
ants Of the north coast are p1d enough ths
these people become that they work but Aye
hours week. earning only enough for the
sclves in drink so keen is the desire Tor
liquor that on the farms. after the apples have
through icrmcn,ation and another t milling 70
gain a further intoxcant from the rancid
mass Much the same is done with grapes In
The evils Of absinthe drinking are growing.
| 1t is only IA few years since two old women liv-
ing in a secluded mountain valley in switzer-
land gave out their secret for brewing drink
sn f' is Known ar"und the World &owheGe
has its sale grown to so threatening propor-
nunIly drives many to insanity In the better
cafes bsinthe costs 30 confines. or 10 cents.
i" til Ffs les. IS h peso scss
when dash Of vitriol is added to give it an
Of the cheap drinks. and even in some Of the
Last week the writer had an interesting talk
with senator jules lie Jeune, Secretary of State
III the Belgian Cabinet who is ushng bill to
prohibit III" sale OF absintho in belgium.
in Franc o"t h" SAID i # " also % have "a bill
before our p9rliammeIt To- gradually :. decrease
present W" have POS, 5000 Of those to a popula-
twenty Low Tour T persons Ny pIan is to make the
proportion one drinking place TO- every 200
people. but tn" proposal is too radical to carry
without material amendment"
, some OF the Continental Governments are
posting temperance autographs in public
llurps n IA warning to the ppDplp on the effects
Of iHtHmnerance and the tEmnGta4cs s3Gitties
w lipss and SG
! Not alone are the present French efforts edu-
nn hI b are Hng at nj ma tre Thsr
j. group ot temperance legislators In the
. Chamber of Deputies and in the Senate. who
t are pressing for constitutional relief from the
\ present desperate conditions Senator Sieg-
, fried will shortly present hill to reduce the
number Of drinking places in the republic. as
the beginning Of an extensive Legislative re.
,, form, There are more than half million Of
of the departments the consumption OF alcohol
, now amounts t. twenty litres per person yearly.
, the streets. PRACTICALLY eyssryhody, drinks, and
+ it's multiple, with every meal, and between
: meals Only among the poorest do they follow
bar and drinks C on an empty stcmash As i
: is. they may be in continuous fuddle. but
5 An unexpected Endorsement OF the temper,
ance movement has developed since the first
or the year in the friendly attitude OF the 80.
cialist press Of France and other countries,
r These papers. as the organs of the powerful
worktngmen's societies OF the Continent. say
r as tending to lessen the opportunity to drink,
which they plainly say is the workingman'e
greatest enemy.
The widespread interest In the temperance
), movement on the Continent was well shown
3 held in Paris in April. Twenty-one countried
. were represented by more than 1000 dele:
: gates. and official representatives were present
; from the Governments OF France. Germany.
1 Austria. Sweden and Norway. Denmark. Swit3-
b erIand. Belgium, Holland and Roumania
I These will all make official reports to theiI
t Governments on the problem of drink. and the
= methods proposed to abolish intcmperance.
- The next congress will meet at Vienna In
| | 1901. where the Austrian Government hal
I assured welcome through its representative
DR.. de Hebra, who was at the Paris cOnVen-
ton. DIR. de Hcbra says there Is remarkable
movement among the young medical men 81
I his country since the first of the present year
| and that he AS a teetOtaller Is finding many re.
| cruits. not alone for temperance. but for total
| | abstinence.
| | IA, g toll 10 M al nh al II