The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-09-19
RAPID GROWTH
Of TEETOTALISM
Extreme Section of European
Reformers Claim a
Majority.

| STOCKHOLM, September 2.-The
| most interesting point in connection
with the eleventh international con-
gress against alcoholism, which open
ed here two weeks ago with demon
stration Of temperance societies, and
brought together representatives OF
seventeen different countries. does NOT
appear in the official program at all.
| though it is none the less vital to the
/ character, and especially to the future,
! of these biennial gatherings. Prince
I Gustav Adolf, grandson of the king.
| when opening the formal business of
| the congress summed up the original
and primary purposes thereof when he
said that TO fight against the misuse
of alcohol was one of the most i'm
portant social questions of the day.
Here the word of special Specification
is misuse
Strictly speaking, the international
congress does not, or should not, seek
to restrict reasonable "use" of al
cohol, and in the introduction of this
years program references are made to
the great and important science of
alcohology,' to alcoholism" and to
the alcoholic problem all of which
phrases seem to suggest the idea of
actual social or physical evils, and the
cure thereof, rather than the teetotal
idea of absolute abstention, irrespec-
tive of whether the individual is an
actual victim to alcoholism or not.
Thus the congress should not be re-
garded from the same standpoint as
a national conference Of total absti-
hence societies, and its primary object,
as thus stated, must appeal to the
sympathies of much wider class of
the community.
But ever since the Inauguration Of
these gatherings there has been a GER
tain division in the ranks of the adj
herents, brought about by the attitude
Of a section which, not satisfied with
seeking to suppress the evils of a ''nis-
use'' of alcoholic beverages. has sought
also to put down their use in any
that alcoholism came into existence
with the introduction of spirits, and
did not prevail among those of our
and cider, but the extremist section of
the congress is inclined to draw no
distinction between use and abuse,
either of ardent spirits or of wine and
beer This tendency came into evil
dence at the international congress of |
1885, held at Antwerp. In the twenty
one years which have elapsed since |
the extremist section of the interna-
r. fa11, cs+r IN
creasing in numbers and influence and |
its members claim that they now con-
stitute the majority, while the mod
crates are certainly somewhat un-
easy lest they may not, sooner or later. |
find themselves, as one of them has |
expressed it, "swamped.'
BASED ON DIFFERENT PRIN-
CIPLES.
To understand the position Alright, |
however, one must bear in mind that
the larger proportion of the temper
ance' societies on the continent of
with which the international
congress has hitherto been mainly as
sociated) are based on principles diff
fering essentially from those of the
eetotal-temperance societies of the
United States. In Scandinavia the
leaders of the temperance movement,
anxious in the early days thereof to
wean the people from the spirit
drinking, which was the curse of these
agreed to recognize the con-
of light beer, and in Dem
mark, about the year 1894, the brewers
we're even asked by some of the reni-
oerance societies if they could not pro-
luce a beer Of practically non-intoxi-
Eating qualities, which would have bet
er keeping qualities than the so-called
white beer" popular in that country
or generations past. This white beer,
made by the experimentation process,
vas a very unsatisfactory production,
'eadily turning sour, but it was not
Until 1902 that there was finally pro-
iuced in Copenhagen by the bottom
process a thin Bavarlan
beer, which really answered the de-
;ired requirements. Since them one
brewery firm alone in the city has In
,reased it's output of this temper
lnce beer" to 10000 barrels the year
| figure not inconsiderable in view or
he fact that the total population or
Denmark is only two and half million,
md that there are, in the country. no
ever than soy DfeWeF1eS producing
duty free beer chat is, beer having
ess than 21-4 per cent. weight of
lIcohol, equal to about per cent. OF
proof spirit.)
BEERS IN SWEDEN AND DEN
MARK.
In Sweden the legal limit of alcohol
or "duty-free' beer is 2 IA per cent
n volume (not weight, as in Denmark,
With per cent of extract. though
,rewers who produce not only "svag-
Iricka." as such beer is mostly called,
nut beers above the said limit, have to
,ay duty on their total consumption
f malt in the breweries where the two
are produced, the excise
authorities declaring that they cannot
heck the respective quantities, SO that
he freedom from duty for temperance
,eer'' applies in Sweden only in the
ase of breweries where such beer alone
) produced. The fact that the temper
nee societies of Sweden, almost with
1It exception, have hitherto recognized
be consumption by their members OF
GERS of the kind in question has, UNI
oubtedIy. done much to contribute to
ne magnitude of their membership, SO
hat the 10000 temperance people who
ook part in the procession We're not all