The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-11-18

,ra the nations heading for the
tar wagon?" Is the worship of
7,aocbus to become as dead as defer
ance to Pan? Is the gayety of the wine
" niourette from view and the sol
unity of water to flood mankind?
Questions similar to these are be-
.,o asked by temperance workers
and by liquor capitalists alike, since
aho news came out of Germany that
tho Kaiser had ordered his secretary
- the interior, DR.. Delbrueck, to
sonnd the governments of the Ger
nan states on their views as to the
enactment of a law regulating the
Gale of beers and liquors.
The Kaiser is evidently afraid that
+oo much beer and liquor may dam
sga the physique Of the German
ormv Kaiser Wilhelm himself is
now virtually a teetotaler. Lemon
ode is his favorite tipple. Nor is he
aIone among the crowned heads in
taking to water. Other abstainers
orn the King of Italy, Car of Bull
garia. King of Sweden and King of
Snain. The Crown prince of Sweden
SC also stated never to touch alcohol.
A General Roll Call.
The general roll call of the nations
todav shows the temperance hosts
land temperance is not used as
meaning absolute prohibition) to be
nowarful in the United States, all
the scandinavian countries and the
chief English colonies. In England
herself, in France, Germany, Swift
erland, Holland Belgium the temper
ance crusade is important. Very re-
cent years show growth of the tenn
Derance cause in India and Japan.
In most of the rest of the world
the wine bibblers have things pretty
much their own way. Temperance
has not impressed itself much on
Spain. Italy, Austria, Russia, the
Balkan States, China, Mexico, Cen
tral America or South America.
1t is estimated that there are As
temperance societies, with IT'S, 900
members in Germany. Last year a
petition for local option was sent to
the Reichstag with 100000 sigma
TIRES. The international Good Tenn
plars have 1900 lodges in Germany,
with about $1,000 members.
Temperate Scandinavia.
The premier of Sweden is fatty
aligned with the prohibitionists. The
prohibition group in the Swedish
Diet is very large and influential, and
fact aids in fostering the belief
among the "drys" that Sweden will
soon abolish liquor.
That nation which is first to
free itself from the injurious effects
of alcohol will thereby attain a
marked advantage over other nations
in the amicable, yet intensive, strug-
gle for existence" was a recent dec
laration of the crown prince of Swe-
den
Norway is also apparently moving
toward the water wagon, although
scarcely, perhaps, as fast as Sweden
About half of Norwegian cities are
under prohibition. The Storthing, the
parliamentary body, has forbidden
the sale of intoxicants in all army
drill grounds and barracks.
An Ideal Land.
Iceland and the Farce Islands
both Danish possessions, have prohi-
btion, Iceland being the first country
of modern times to exact constitu-
tional prohibition against the manu-
facture, importation and sale OF
liquor. Persons who have studied
Iceland report that there is not an
illiterate among the islands 10000
inhabitants, nor a child 10 years old
unable to read 1t is stated that there
are no jails, no penitentiary, and on
ly one policeman.
Denmark herself is joining in the
general Scandinavian advance
against the tipple which may inebri-
ate. The question of prohibition is
in active politics and it is expected
that the prohibitionists will soon be
in control of the government.
Finland, the last of the Scandinav-
ian countries, has twice voted for a
national prohibition law, but the