The daily sentinel., 1914-03-11
FRANCE AND GERMANY ARE
BOTH TO STOP DRINKING
Associated Press.

Associated Press.
Paris. March IA bill. to stop
the opening of any more drinking
establishments in France is to be pre-
sented to parliament as the opening
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 es-
tablished were so apportioned there
would be one for every group of so
inhabitants 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 a day.
More alcoholic drink. including
wines. Ia consumed in France than in
any other nation in the world.
In the form OF spirits alone 1t Is
estimated that 1896. 100000 worth
was drunk in France during 1911.
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 the house of
deputies. "and the most we can hope
at present is TO forbid the opening 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 re-
duce the average of drinking places
to one for two hundred Inhabitants.
We shall not, however, try to pre-
vent the opening OF restaurants
where drink is sold with meals.
But even such a mild anti-alco-
holic measure as this il likely to
meet with much opposition in parlia-
ment. How difficult It is to pass
temperance legislation in France
may be judged from the fact 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 up
per house.
1--WE hope, however. that the gem
eral elections this spring will con-
siderably increase the temperance
vote in the chamber and we are or
ganizing an energetic non-party
campaign Throughout France, urging
each political group to obtain from
their candidate a declaration ON the
drink question and II possible a
pledge to support anti-alcoholic leg
lslation.
after the passage of the law at
present before the house there are
two other projects which we hope to
realize in course of time. One Is the
absolute prohibiting of the sale of alb
sinthe. Official statistics show that
the consumption of this liquor which
stood at 100000 litres in 1874 had
increased to IS, 100000 litres in 1910
and the Increase of crime In France
during the recent years is largely
due to absinthe-drinking. Our mad
houses are filled with lunatics who
would have been. sane and healthy
mon and women but for absinthe.
"The second anti-alcoholic meas
ure will be for abolishing the 'privil-
ege' OF spirit distillers to manufac-
ture a quantity of spirit free from
taxation for consumption by them
selves and their families. The amount
Of spirits thus manufactured is enor-
nous, especially In the cider districts
such as Normandy and Brittany
where every peasant is distiller OF
spirit in a small way. The govern
ment has no check whatever on spirit
manufactured under the privilege
and OF course 1t Is not by any means
consumed by the dlstiller and his
family. II is estimated that If the
spirits manufactured under the priv
ilege were taxed at the same rate as
other alcohol it would bring reve-
nue Of at least s25, 900, 900"