The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-11-27
PROHIBITION IS
HELP TO RUSSIA
? The Country Prospers Under
The Dry
Rule.

Petrograd, Russia, Nov 10
There is prohibition in Russia to-
day; prohibition which means that
not drop of vodka, whisky, brandy.
gin or any other strong liquor is
obtainable from one end to the other
OF territory populated by $50, 700,
600 people and covering one-sixth
of the habitable globe.
The story of how strong drink
has been utterly banished from the
Russian empire was related to the
Association Press by Michael Demi-
trOvitch Tchelisheff. the man direct
~ responsible for putting an end
to Russia's great vice, the vodka
habit.
II should have been said in the
beginning that the word prohibition
In Russia must be taken literally.
It's use does not imply a partially
successful attempt to curtail the CON
sumption Of liquor resulting in drink
ing In secret places. the abuse of
medical licenses and general evasion
and subterfudge.
Ii does not mean that a vast pop
alution who consumed S1.O00.0O0,
600 worth OF vodka a year: whose
ordinary condition has been describ-
cd by Russians themselves as ranging
from a slight degree of stimulation
upward has been lifted almost in one
day from drunken inertia to sobrie-
ty.
The nation has been compelled
virtually overnight. TO abandon its
enormous day consumption OF vodka,
liquor that is almost pure alcohol,
and become abstemious to the ex-
tent of letting no liquor pass its
lips.
, On the day when the mobilization
OF the Russian army began special
policemen visited every public place
where vodka is sold, locked up the
supply OF the liquor, and placed on
the shop the imperial seal. Since
the manufacture and sale Of vodka
Is government monopoly in Rus
MIA, IL is not a difficult thing to en-
force prohibition.
From the day this step was taken
drunkness vanished In Russia. The
results are seen at once in the peas
antry; already they are beginning
to look different race. The marks
OF suffering. the pinched looks Of i'll
ness and proper nourishment have |
gone from their faces. There has
been also a remarkable change in the !
appearance of their clothing. Their |
clothes are cleaner, and both the men |
and women appear more nealy and
better dressed. The destitute charac- |
ter OF the homes OF the poor has been |
replaced with something like order |
and thrift. In Petrograd and Moscow |
the effect of these improved condi- !
lions is fairly startling. On holidays |
In these two cities inebriates always |
filled the police stations and often |
they lay about on the sidewalks and |
even in the strets. Things are so diff |
ferent today that unattended women |
may now pass at night through por- |
tons of these cities where il was |
formerly dangerous even for men. |
Minor crimes and misdemeanors have |
almost vanished.
This miracle has been virtually ac- |
complished by one man. He is Michael
II. chelishetf, a peasant by birth |
originally a house painter by profes-
sion, then mayor of thet city Of Sama-
r. and now a millionaire, Physically |
he is a giant standing over six feet !
four inches, and a powerful build. |
Although he is fifty-five years old,
he looks much younger. His move
ments display the energy of youth |
his eyes are animated, and his black |
hair is not tinged by gray.
IN Ptrograd Mr.. Tchelisheff is gen
orally found in a luxurious suit OF
rooms in one of the best hotels. He |
goes about clad in blue blouse with |
a tasselled girdle, and baggy black |
breeches tucked into heavy boots. He |
offers his visitors tea from a samovar !
and fruit from the Crimea