Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-05-30
RESULTS AT BREMEN

RESULTS AT BREMEN
WHAT WAS DONE BY THE RECENT
:ANTIALCOHOLIC CONGRESS.
Prevailing Sentiment In Favor Of
Total Abstinence - Important Adj
dress by Mrs. Hunt Of Boston on
:SoieatiAe Temperance Instruetion.
Mrs. Mary II. Hunt OF Boston, repre-,
oenting the Women's Christian Tenn
perance union at the International an
tialcoho1 congress at Bremen, has is
sued the following synopsis Of the
work accomplished at the convention:
:. The international alcohol congress
that meets biennially on the continent :,
has Just closed it's ninth session. It
has been in the matter Of attendance
and well known persons present tho
most remarkable Of any session of the
congress-. This body Of I, 400 delegates,
notable In science and In the service
Of humanity as university professors
or for their hereditary rank, came to
Bremen from fifteen different nations
on two hemispheres.
"Questions of religion and politics
were wisely ruled out Of such varied
assemblage. The subjects discussed
were the teachings of science concern
ing a moderate use Of alcohol and the
effect Of it's use on every phase Of hui
man progress. Two schools Of thought
were representative moderates, who
call themselves the temperate school,
and the total abstainers, who are
called the abstinence school, By COM
mon consent the congress passed no
resolutions, but the applause for the
| testimony of science and experience
on behalf of total abstinence showed
| the moderates to be In the minority.
1.-THE statement Of Dr.. August Forei,
one Of the foremost authorities In the
| world ON brain and nerve diseases, that
neither science nor experience fur
nishes evidence to justify calling alco-
hol q food, called out prolonged accla-
nations The papers read by notable
members of the congress during these
six days will fill two or three Volumes
| and soon will be printed for wide dis
hibution. i
1.-THE paper ON Alcohol and Art By
Professor Berens, director Of the Ger
man School Of Art at Dusseldorf, was
a classic. He said that alcohol by dull
ing the spiritual aspirations essential
to the greatest work was an enemy OF
the highest attainment In art
"A paper on Scientific Temperance
Education In the Public Schools In the
United States by an American, repre-
+ -taentattVe led to d discussion in which
twenty speakers took part and nearly;
every one Of them commended the ex-
tension Of the American method for
the prevention of intemperance."
One Of the most interesting papers
was prepared by Mrs. Hunt herself.
the theme being the significance Of
Temperance instruction in the public
schools. In the course Of her address
MIS-. Hunt said:
'"The thraldom Of alcoholism can be
overthrown only by making the masses
intelligent tn regard to the true nature
Of alcohol and its consequent effects
upon the human system. This requires.
first, thorough scientific investigation
Of the alcohol problem and, second, tho
widest diffusion Of truths thus learned.
'"The people of the United States, be-
heving that such diffusion could best
be effected through public school in
struction, secured between the years
1882-1902 the passage Of state and ma
tional laws by which the study Of
physiology and hygiene, including spe-
cial instruction as to the nature and
effects Of alcoholic drinks and other
narcotics, became mandatory for all
pupils in all schools Of the republic.
Temperance physiology has thus
been very generally taught for ten or
fifteen years, and it Is significant that
during this time the rate of increase In
the per capita consumption of alcoholic
liquors has diminished materially; also
that there has been a gain of four and
one-tenth years in the average of life.
Thorough investigation in the most
populous state, New York, shows that:
the study is restraining children from
forming alcohol and other narcotic
habits and influencing their parents
against alcohol and tobacco.
1.-THE teachings that have secured
these gratifying results are:
"First.-The nature of alcohol and its
effects upon the human economy.
"Second.-The physiological reasons
for obeying all laws of health, since
unhygienic habits often cause craving
for narcotics. 5--> .s-.
Careful grading shows that the SUBJ
I jeet can be adequately covered by a
minimum Of three oral lessons per
week for ten weeks in each primary
year, and four textbook lessons per
week for ten weeks in each of the five
grammar years and the first year of
the high school. Thus, with $50 les
sons progressive development is at,
tafned without crowding other branch
es during years in which the formation
OF habits is especially active.
! "The textbook used by pupils of all