The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-08-30
DOMAIN OF TEMPERANCE.
TEMPERANCE WORK IN GERMANY


Rev. u. f. Mueller, c. PIP. S., has a
short but very interesting article in
The Fortnightly Review entitled "Pro-
tecting the young against alcoholism.
He quotes the German Emperor as
saying, Would to God that / could
drive out the alcohol devil from my
people" A great Congress was held
in the assembly hall of the Prussian
Diet in Berlin, in March, under the
honorary presidency of the Chancellor
OF the Empire, assisted by nearly all
the members of the Cabinet. It's nue.
leus, we are told, was formed by gov
ernors of provinces, generals of the
army, professors of the leading uni
Verslties, leaders of the most distin-
guished scientific and reform societies
OF the realm. Besides these, there
were 1,4O0 delegates of various, peda-
gog1cal, social reform and temperance
societies. The first session treat
ed the effects of stimulants upon chill
dren and youth. DR.. Weygacdt vigor-
ously condemned the use of alcohol by
nursing mothers, because by it the
babe is alcoholized. DR.. Niehergall of
Heidelberg University dealt with the
deteriorating effect of drinking upon
religion and morality. He maintained
that Alcohol undermines reverence
for preacher, teacher and parents:
that it lowers morality by stimulating
the passions and numbing discretion"
Another eminent speaker showed from
the experiences Of the juvenile courts
that nearly all juvenile delinquencies
are to be traced to the saloon. At this
session, the Congress resolved that.
children and young people generally
should not take any alcohol, not even
in the form of light beer" The second
session considered the modes of tenn
perance instruction in vogue. Pro-
lessor Gouzer reviewed the conditions
in the United States, England, Sweden,
France and Roumania. He main
tanned that experience proves that in
struction on the evil effects of alcohol,
to be effective, must be given by COM
petent teachers early in life, begin
ming in the primary school and con-
tinue during the whole school course,
even in the university. At the next
session DR.. HELLER dealt with educa-
ton on this matter in the home; and
said that the foundation must be laid
here by destroying the myth that beer
and wine are wholesome, and by edu-
eating the child to self-restraint. Pro-
lessor 3. Werner of Heidelberg Uni
versity said that sound doctrine must
be assisted by training the will to en-
JOY other pleasures than the effect of
alcohol. On the last day of the Con-.
gress there was a mastering Of the
armies engaged in fighting the use of
stimulants among the young. The
League of the Cross (Total Abstain
ers) was represented by the Camillian
Father Syring. He said that as early
as 1897 they felt that steps must be
taken to caution their youth against
the dangers of drinking. Their vigor-
GUS agitation was crowned with sue
cess, when, in 1903, they gained the
supports of the Katholikentag of Co.
logne. The next year they were able
to start their Guardian Angel Society,
which in eight years has grown to 10O,-
900 members. After school dismissal
(between 14-18) they gather their
young total abstainers into the Jugen-
bund. For student abstainers they
have clubs. He said that in a month
they expected that these clubs would
have their own organ. University stu
dents associations, he said, were still
weak. Father Mueller tells us of the
great work Of the eloquent and jealous
franciscan, P. Elpidius, who like an
other Father Matthew" is constantly
travelling through Germany, admins
tering the pledge to thousands.