East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-09-26
THE DRINK HABIT is THE
FRANCES GREATEST ISSUE.

Thomas b. Gregory writes the fol-
lowing entertaining review of the
liquor question in France for the
Memphis News-Scimitar:
The French government is face to
face with the most serious problem il
ever had to deal with.
France is dying from alcoholism. OF
Will be pretty soon, unless something
is done to prevent 1t. and that some
thing the authorities are trying hard
to do.
All France is being placarded with
large posters describing the evils of
alcoholism and imploring the people
to refrain from the use of all alcoholic
| liquors.
Tracts upon the blessings of tenn
perance and the evils of the drink
habit are being scattered throughout
the republic; the clergy are preaching
upon the ravages that alcoholism is
working among the people, and the
whole force of the government is be-
ing centered in the one grand effort
to save the nation from the destruc-
tion with which il is threatened.
Let 1t be said just here that the
trouble in France is not that OF drunk
enness as that term is generally un-
| derstood. The claim, long made with
pride by the French people, that they
are n nation of moderate drinkers. II
/ is perfectly correct one.
1t is the moderate drinking'-not
drunkenness, but continuous respect
able alcoholism, the screwing up OF
nerves and heating of blood, day and
night, year in and year out-that is
today threatening the very existence
of the French nation!
drunken man, other than a for.
eigner, is rare sight in France, and
yet while very few Frenchmen drink
excessively. nearly all Frenchmer
drink mOderately"-with the result
that they are being actually threatened
with national extinction!
1t is an open secret that for a gen.
Grafton or more France has been los.
| ing its vitality. 1t was only a little
while ago that the fact appeared that
the decreased vitality was due to alco.
holism. the poisoning and weakening
and general decentralization of the sys.
TEN by the steady. though moderate
use of spirituous liquors.
That France is in most dangerous
way is clearly shown by the statistic.
gathered by her own government of
ficials.
Suicide, insanity. tuberculosis, dia
bctes, Brights disease, epilepsy anC
idiocy are alarmingly on the increase
The physique of the French peopl,
is being undermined. Their blood Il
turning white. Moderate drinking Il
killing them.
For decade or so the birth rat,
has been abnormally low, as com
pared with the death rate. The 'de
sire to live" and to perpetuate one
self is losing its hold upon the Frencl
mind.
Government alarmed by the stead
, lily decreasing birth list, is obliged L
offer rewards for maternity!
There are here and there in Franc
few spots that are unalcoholized
and in those areas the human anima
is still strong and vigorous, as he wa
in Caesars day. as he was even so lat
as the time of Napoleon the First.
In the unalcoholized department
there are not only a great many NOR
, children. but a much greater percent
, age who reach the adult age.
The comparatively temperate de
partment of Gers loses annually bu
81 children in their first year; tn
Nord, strongly alcoholized, loses 2S
out of the same number; the Sein
Inferieure, 256, and so on in proper
tion.
And So it appears, the moderat
: drinking of the great French peopl