Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-09
ANTI ALCOHOL ACTION
INTERNATIONAL CON-
GREss ENDS ITS 1ABoRs.
Special Cablegram to The Star.

Special Cablegram to The Star
STOCKHOLM, September 9.-The eleventh
international anti-alcohol congress closed
It's laoors without having adopted any reso-
buttons embodying the conclusions arrived
at. The Swedish committee of organization
decided, as stated in the program drawn up
Tor the proceedings of the congress, that no
votes should be taken on questions of prin-
clpie out of respect to the opinions of mi
norities and to avoid every appearance of
pressure brought to bear on dissentients
1t was preferable in the opinion of the
committee, that the facts and arguments
brought forward in debate should be allow
ed to speak for themselves. In one case,
however, an exception was made to this
rule. This was in regard to the question
or temperance in schools, the exception be-
ing justified, as the president of the con-
greSs, Bishop Won SScheel, stated, by the
vital Importance of the subject, the unanim-
Ity or opinion in regard to it, and the fact
that as the resolution Applied to minors, it
could not be regarded as an attempted in
fringement Of individual liberty. This reso-
luton was as follows:
The eleventh International congress
against alcoholism supports and halls with
gladness every legislative measure having
in view the total prevention of the use of
alcohol by the young
In the scientific section the discussion of
the subject, Alcohol and Medicine" intro
duced by DIR. Vogt (Christiania) and ur
Delbruck (Bremen), elected a consensus of
opinion that alcohol is not necessary in
therapeutics as stimulant except in rare
cases; that the use of it in hospitals as
well as In private practice was to be depre-
cated, ana Is, as general rule, being given
up by advanced practitioners. The follow
Ing desiderata were formulated, but with
out lead.ng to any resolution on the sub
tect: % The use of alcohol by physicians
N mi iyr,lIr iy,
cessity; CD other stimulants to be en-
ployed in preference; CD special diagnoses
to be made in cases where alcoholic stimu-
lants are used: az hospital dietary to be,
generally speaking, free of alcohol
Alcohol and Native Races.
During the debate on alcohol and Ma
tive Races" Herr Victor (Bremen) quoted
an African emir as exclaiming to a British
authority: Your liquor is killing my people
and running my country. 1t makes every
one mad" In the German colonies in Africa
things were no better Fortunately, the
resolution adopted by the anti-alcoholic
congress at Carlsruhe had opened the eyes
OF the German government. which has now
sets Its face against this evil.
1T has raised-the import duty on alcohol
in West AfricaA25 per cent, and the new
colonial secretary had publicly declared
that he would willingly prohibit the i'm
portation altogether if he could. NJ Nouet
contributed a paper drawing an equally
dark picture Of the French colonies in
Africa and Madagascar, concluding with
the following demands:
1. That the colonial congress to sit in
Brussels in 1911 should declare that the ex-
portation Of liquor to the colonies and pro-
tectorates of European states in Africa and
Asia shall be prohibited. .. That the ad-
ministrative authorities of such colonies
and protectorateS be empowered to prevent
the importation, transport and sale Of such
liquors.
Racial Degeneration.
Prof. Forel (Switzerland) treated the sub
ject of alcohol and the sexual question
from the point Of view Of human produc-
tiveness. and the rational selection which
science must regard as the only safeguard
against racial degeneration. DR.. Caroline
Widerstrom lStockholm) explained the sat
isfactory results of the courses on sexual
hygience introduced in the upper classes in
Swedish schools, and her own experiences
as teacher in these courses The discus
sion on Alcohol and Criminality," intro
duced by Mr.. AlmQuist (Stockholm) and
DR.. Scharffenberg christianity led to the
formulating of the following program: No
alcohol in prison diet; instruction in alco-
biology in prisons, especially among
younger criminals; total abstinence of
prison waEdsrs on service; detention Of all
confirmed drunkards, criminal or vaga-
bonds, in reformatories.
In introducing the subject Of Alcohol