Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-08
RESTRAINT upon
LIQUOR ABROAD
France, Germany and italy
Engaging the Attention of
Temperance Forces.
BILLS IN PREPARATION
AT PARIS AND BERLIN
Aimed at the Opening of ANY More
Drinking Places in
Rome to Enforce New Laws. /.
PARIS. February %. 1914.

PARIS. February % 1914
a Dill TO stop the opening of any more
drinking establishments in France is TO
De presented to parliament as the OPEN
ing wedge for the anti alcoholic cam
paign which is being taken up anew by
temperance advocates. Here are some OF
the facts with which they are trying TO
drive home the need of restraint:
II the drinking places already estab-
ished were so apportioned there would
be one for every group of eighty inhabit-
ants of France
In some districts drinking places are
so thickly placed that there is one for
every seventeen persons
New drinking places are springing UP
throughout the country at the rate OF six
day.
More alcoholic drink, including wines,
is consumed in France than In any other
nation in the world.
In the form of spirits alone 1t is es-
timated that 500 100000 worth was drunk
in France during 1911.
Hope to Reduce Paris Saloons.
Complete prohibition is beyond the
widest dreams OF any French temperance
reformer. says Henri Schmidt. who is
author Of the bill about to come before
tile house of deputies. land the most we
can hope at present is to forbid the OPEN
ing OF any new saloons. BY refusing to
grant new licenses we hope In the course
OF time, as some of the present drinking
establishments fail or cease to exist for
other reasons, to reduce the average OF
drinking places to one for 200 Inhabitants
We shall not, however try to prevent
the opening of restaurants where drink is
sold with meals.
But even such mild anti-alcoholic
measure as this is likely to meet with
much opposition in parliament. How diff
ncult II is to pass temperance legislation
in France may be judged from the fsct
that In 1912 only 126 out of 600 deputies
voted in favor of a milder bill which
originated in the senate and was twelve
years passing through the upper house
We nope. however. that the general
elections this spring will considerably in
crease the temperance vote in the cham
Der. and We are organizing an energetic
non-party campaign throughout France.
i urging each political group to obtain from
its candidate a declaration on the drink
question and IL possible a pledge to sup
port anti-alcoholic legislation.
After the passage of the law at present
projects which We hope to realize in
course of time. One is the absolute pro-
hibiting Of the sale of absinthe.
Crime Charged to Absinthe.
The increase of crime in France during
recent years is largely due to absinths
drinking. Our madhouses are filled with
lunatics who would have been sane and
healthy men and women but for absinthe.
The second anti-alcoholic measure will
be for abolishing the privilege of spirit
distillers to manufacture a quantity OF
| spirit in small way. The government
hofp trtf
featured under the privilege and, of
course, 1t is not by any means consumed
by the distiller and his family.
I'VE propose no legislation at present
against the drinking of wine. In districts
where nothing but wine is consumed
there is very little alcoholism. Cnfortu-
nately, inhabitants of the famous wine
growing districts of France are no longer
content to drink wine alone. They have
acquired the taste for more pernicious
drinks, and at the same time more alb
sinthe is being drunk each year in the
Midi than in any other part of France"
Aimed Primarily at Berlin.
BERLIN. February 25, 1914.
The German parliament. like that Of
France, will soon be called upon to con-
slider measures of restraint upon the
liquor business of the empire. The fed
eral council has prepared for consdera-
ton a bill which is the result of years
of agitation against the issuing of liquor
licenses, regardless of whether there is
any real demand for more drinking places,
Under the existing law municipalities are
authorized to refuse licenses where the
need for their issuance is not proved. but
the new measure makes such refusal man
datory. 1t also requires applicants for
licenses to show that they are persons Of
good character, and can be depended
upon to conduct their business properly.
The new measure is general In its ap-
plication, but is aimed primarily at Ber-
lin. where the development of drinking
places of a dubious sort In the last three
or four years has been amazing. Quiet
residential districts have been invaded by
gaudy restaurants and cafes, and insti-
equipped with barmaids and exotic fid-
dlers and serving mixed drinks termed
American" have been established. To
these places come hangers-on of both
before or o'clock in the morning. and
in most of them business is at its height
at those hours.
For New Laws in Italy.
ROME. February IS. 1914.
A committee of pharmacists has under
taken organized effort to help enforce the
new laws against alcoholism In Italy, the
outgrowth of the recent international
congress held at Milan. A circular is
sued by the committee reads:
THE superior council Of public health
recognizes that grave effects from intem-
perance have not as yet shown them
selves in Italy, but 1t considers condi-
tons favorable for starting an anti-alco-
holic campaign, particularly in the form
of prevention.
with the purpose Of insuring a more
efficacious defense against the insidious
nfi into rerAmmend-
ed: "a That courses of education l.:
hygiene, including particularly the DAN
gers of alcoholism, be instituted In the
public schools, and that in sections where
the evils of alcoholism already exist more
forcible propaganda be instituted under
auspices of the police: CD that the gov
eminent shall favor the institution or
asylums for the care and cure OF drunH-
ards
Last of the Horse Cars.
From the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle