The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-12-09
Enemies of Progress.
Alcohol and Alcoholism Foes of the R

Alcohol and Alcoholism Foes of the Race.
Alcohol and alcoholism are two of the
real and substantial enemies of moral,
artistic and commercial progress of the
human race, according to- the report of
the United States delegates to the 18th
international congress on alcoholism.
The delegates were appointed by Secre-
tary Knox as one of his first official acts
The congress was held last July in Lon
don. and rs governments were represent
ed, the delegates of each concurring in
the general finding that alcohol not only
was unnecessary to human life and com
fort but was lnlmical to both.
Three departments of the United
States government We're represented by
delegates, the State, navy and treasury.
Twelve representatives went abroad.
and all Of them unanimously signed the
report the finding of which is to condemn
the drinking habit as dangerous to public
health and morals and subversive of ma
tional, moral, commercial and military
greatness
While the congress urged the neces-
sity of imposing the most rigorous re-
strlctlonS on the sale and traffic in al
coholic liquors, it regarded as equally
important the need of educating the
younger generation to true knowledge
of what alcohol is and what its effects
upon the human system are. The dele
gates believe that the numerous recent
discoveries as to the harmfulness of
drunkenness and even of moderate"
drinking, also. should be set before chill
dren in order that they may see the dan
ger of the practice.
While oWedgment is made that
the organization of associations of juve-
nile abstainers is useful, it is declared.
the chief reliance should be placed on
scientific temperance education in the
public schools as means of Kidding the
public mind of errors about the effects of
alcohol and substituting the facts that
science is declared to have evolved about
the use of the beverage, even when
taken in small doses.
In furtherance of this plan, Mrs Edith
Smith Davis of Milwaukee, Wis, super
intendent of the Worlds and National
Christian Temperance Union, and one of
the American delegates, urged the ne
cessity of getting to the root of the mat
ter by compelling the currcula of normal
schools and universities to include such
education. In this way, Mrs. Davis con-
tended, the younger generation would be
assured OF proper instruction on Lne SUD
ject.
Following the example of Great Brit
ain, the city and district officials of both
France and Australia likewise have
adopted the public warning" method of
advising the people against Indulgence.
The report deplores the fact that the
same method has not yet found foot
hold in the United States, although such
a plan has been noted in certain cities,
where posters inveighing against the use
of alcohol have been issued by authority
of the mayors.
There was considerable debate on the
effects of the use of small quantities of
alcohol. Certain of the delegates, &C
cording to the report, insisted that the
use of alcohol, in whatever quantity, was
of the greatest danger to the human
race. Others contended that expert
ments showed conclusively no harm re-
suited No conclusion was reached, the
latter class maintaining that further eX-
Fermentation should be undertaken be
fore any decision was reached.
While the congress took no action look
ing to international organization for
work, the meeting resulted in the organ
ization Of two new auXiliaries. One is
the International Prohibition federation,
which proposes to wage an education
campaign among adults, and the Inter
national Abstaining Teachers union, a
society composed Of teachers IN the pub
lie schools and universities who will
pledge themselves to promote the tenn
perance education of youth.