The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-02

1er-J Ournal.H
 Writing from Munich. Bavaria, to Louis- isville, Kentucky--if the composing room abridges it to Ky" I will massacre the staff of proof-readers when I get home is much like writing from Louisville Kentucky, to Munich, Bavaria, because the essential difference between the two, like that between politics and parties in the United States, is of a fluid condition and kind ! the idiosyncrasy of Kentucky, whisky, of Bavaria, beer.
 There are other smilarities. Munich is the most beautiful city in Germany, Louisville is the most beautiful city in America. Vienna gets it's pretty girls from Munich. Half the pretty girls on Broadway come from Kentucky. The Germans of Louisville are the best peo- pie in the world. They seem part and parcel, of the Germans of Munich.
 I don't know much about whisky. have never drunk enough of it to learn--they tell me the Kentucky brands are the best ever and l can well believe it. taking the Kentucky women and the Kentucky horses as the worlds standard of excel lence-but I am an expert on beer, and do say, without the peradventure of doubt, or fear of successful contradic- tion''-that there. is no brew on earth equal to the Bavarian Hofbrau howbeit, tIle eSpeCldl DT6W WHICH AuOlpnuS buSCn makes for Tony Faust, comes near to it, whilst there is good beer to be had In Milwaukee, in Louisville and even in Gin cinnati, bless her poor old soull
 I hope I shall not too greatly offend the Kentucky distiilers when I declare that, if, had the power. I would translate ev- cry distillery into a brewery. The cure for drunkenness, If there be any cure, is light wines and lager. The case-herdened prohibitionist who confesses himself un- able to distinguish between @ glass of grog and 8 stein of beer-nay, who still further discredits his judgment by admit ting that he is unable to realize the amaz- ing contraries betwixt bottle Of whisky and hole in the ground-is as much op- posed to one as to the other. He makes no discrimination. All drinks look alike to him, each hell-bent and sot-breeding the most innocent tipple along with the strongest spirits. The experience of con- tinental Europe is proof of my contention. Here in Bavaria the beer consumption is universal and enormous, and there is no drunkenness of the sort so common with us. am indebted to Consul General Thomas Willing Peters for a valuable collation. of facts bearing upon the drink question from this point of view.
 The laws governing the sale of beer, wines and liquors In Munich are in the nature of the people and the case ex- tremely liberal. According to the census of 1905 there were in Munich 53S,sSS in habitants, all. or at least a very hign percentage, requiring liquid nourishment, principally in the form of beer. To meet this need the authorities granted permis- sion to 14S0 saloons, in which beer may be sold; 120 wine restaurants, S1 cafes and eight tea houses, making an average of one establishment for the sale of such re- treatments to about 319 persons, exclusive of the floating population. Considering that beer Is both food and drink and of universal consumption, this is not a high percentage.
 Any respectable person making applica- |tiop to the proper authorities and secur- ing permission can open a saloon for the sale of beer; but bar where other liquors as well as beer are sold is subject to the restriction that it must be 400 meters distant from any other bar of the same description, nor will permission be granted by the authorities unless they are satisfied that the public require such ad- ditional saloons for It's convenience. Be- sides the regular income tax & license tax has to be paid according to the rent which the saloon keeper has to pay. The proprietor must keep an accurate account and return a. certain percentage on the profits of his business. The hours for opening the beer saloons and wine houses are ordinarily from a. m., closing at Il D. m. including Sundays and holidays, the tea rooms and coffee rooms closing at [ o'clock D. m.
 The question of prohibition is unknown The moral zealot would be considered a crank. Beer is not only drink, but food for a large proportion of the population. The manufacturer of beer is under the strict supervision of the law, which is rigidly enforced, and nothing but malt and hops can be used.
 The consumption of concentrated alco- holic drinks in proportion to that of beer is exceeding small. Beer and light wines constitute the national beverage equally for the wealthy and the lowly, the rich and the poor. The many. beautiful gar dens where drinks are dispensed, having comfortable tables and chairs and good attendants, are crowded during pleasant weather with the most respectable classes of society, ranging from the highest in rank to the peasantry, all joining togeth- CT in a republic of pleasure, drinking in moderation while enjoying the best Of music. rms IS furnished as a rule by some one of the military bands. It is the same during the winter months with the indoor places. thsa
 Upon many journeys through Germany have never seen one single case of drunkenness in any of these halls or gardens. Treating, with its cohcomitant evils, is practically unknown. Each man pays for what he requires, drinking no more than he wishes. Sometimes the general thirst on warm summer day is utantic in it's capacity for consumption. But, notwithstanding the vast quantities consumed, beer does not seem to engen- der the cumulative element aroused by alcoholic drinks; 1t has rather the re- verse effect, for it not only satisfies the thirst, but contains a food quality, which resists the small percentage of alcohol, himself and his surroundings; a kindly beverage. invented, one might fancy, to smooth away the cares of life and the workaday world, satisfying at once the spirit and the man.
 The Criminal Record
 I have never doubted that the relation of strong drink to crime and of tine light CT wines and beer to crime would. as in dlcated by the police statistics in every land show much to the advantage of the latter as against the former. That the brewers of our country have to answer for the overplus of low dives set up by them, where liquors as well as beers are