Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-18

SO 663. Thus the japanese encourage the
moderate use of the milder. beverages. as Is
the tendency in the United States at this
time.
Compared with the American drink
record, however, The japanese do not have
20 much TO recommend them above this
country. There were Withdrawn for con-
sumption in this COUNTY In the fiscal .ear
1905 total Of ZIG. l45. T,2 gallons OF whisky.
Our population is nearly double that OF
japan, where the SAX" consumption was.
In round numbers. l45OaDuUU gallons The
American whisky was just AS II came out
OF government warehouses. loo per cent
proof alcohol. Diluted with - per cent OF
water and other decoctiOns would make
about - 81. 464 gallons of drink of the
sort generally served across counters. But
not near all the whisky IS drunk straight
| lIhe sake. Much-of il is used iu medicinal
and other preparations. and ia many ways,
while sake is wholly for consumption az a
beverage
The figures show thar the Americans do
not drink much more fiery material than
the japanese. although they make up for
the deficiency in the use OF beer In The
fiscal year 1905 Americans drank ~ 459 80
barrels of beer, each barrel containing
thirty-one gallons. an increase Of 3, 5422l0
gallons over the preceding fiscal year.
Americans are increasing their beer con-
sumption and decreasing their consumption
of strong drink.
japanese beer Is stronger than the Amer
| lean, having TO q per cent Of alcohol,
and costs more than the domestic article.
a
price is expected to decrease, which Amer
lean officials believe will cause it substitute
ton for sake at a much more rapid rate.
japanese army officers express the opinion
that beer would be better than sake
for the soldiers, who are az fond Of drink
as soldiers of any other nation. The use
of 1t in the army would have been much
larger but bottle Of beer in a canteen
costs 10 cents, and the pay Of the japanese
soldier is SL36 a month. The government
| furnished him some drink free.
Sake is manufactured almost entirely
from rice and differs from beer chiefly in
having smaller proportions of doxtrose and
dextrin, which gives beer its food value.
Sake is OF little food value Il is not
eifervescent. 1t IS difficult to keep and the
brewers must examine it'frequeuuy to sec
that there are no signs of fermentation.
The japanese drink sake warm slipping
Il slowly out Of small cups. In this way
it is taken In moderation. When imbibed
too freely, though. IL produces a hilarious
intoxIcation that makes 2 japanese citizen
wild. AT a feast 1t cones first, and along
with various dishes. 1t Is served not from
a tall china bottle set within a wooden
stand. Each guest has a sake cup lying
in wafer in a porcelain, bronze or carved
wooden bowl. Taking a cup in both hands,
a kneeling maid presents IL 10 the chief
guest. and afterward o,her cups TO the
the brim and seeing that it is kept filled as
at an American feast.
Some varieties of sake are made from
sweet potatoes and this Is said 20 produce
a stronger drink than rice, but not as
palatable or costly. A large percentage OF
the families OF Japan are too poor 10 buy
even the cheapest sake. IL is stated that
poverty is the main reason for what tenn
peranee prevails, and that the Japanese
have just strong a taste for alcoholtc
stimulants. and no more control over the
taste when they have the money to indulge
Il, than the average citizen Of any other
country Expenditures for sake and. to-
baeco make up a small part of the ex-
penses of every home able TO secure those
luxures. A japanese blacksmith with
monthly income of IA -yen--about 81 Ameri-
car-end having family OF FIVE TO support,
manages, after paying house rent and buy
ing fish and rice, to have q little left for
sake and tobacco. The amount. though. IS
small compared to the expenditures OF an
American IN the same occupation.