The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-01-12

Would the average American citizen
approve II American army officers
openly taught temperance to their
men? Would the brewing interests,
permit it? Is the United States be-
hind hand in realizing the necessity
for dealing with an evil which Europ-
can nations are actively organizing to
fight? Is Eocialism-So long linked in
popular prejudice with anarchy, row.
dyism and drinking-is socialism to
be the first force to make prohibition
an International issue for world poll
! tics?
These are among the questions
opened by Ernest Gordon in his COM
~prehensive study, The Anti-Alcohol
Movement in Europe, which has re-
Gently been published by the Fleming
Fl. Revell Co.
Pathetic and terrible is the story of
conditions prevalent on the continent
which have brought the agitation of
the last few years and aroused the
public conscience fran passive &C
ceptance of an evil to militant opposi-
ton in the course of a few years. De-
ploFable social and moral conditions,
attended by economic loss and failure.
| political trickery and the power of or
ganized interests against the unor-
ganized masses, are the fortified posi-
tons Of alcoholism now being attack
ed by the leading scientists, medical
men, social idealists and educators of
Europe. And both parties recognize
that the struggle is not half-hearted
and will endure until complete eXter-
mination is melted out to one or the
other. "It is daybreak in Europe"
says Mr.. Gordon.
Europe Apathetic at First.
One Of the most striking things that
| Mr. CnrInr n0i-ts oJ1+ IL +H~ A - r1r
American origin Of the prohibition
movement and the first apathy of
Europe, especially in the Germanic
countries. With this comes the
further realization that the actual
development of anything like an eff
fective negative not to the progress
of alcoholism comes now from these
same countries, and Anglo-American
activities have dwindled to spasmodic
| efforts of separated communities.
A speech of Joseph Reinach, the
sum up the arraignment Of alcoholism
in France. where the worst conditions
of the whole world prevail, according
to the figures presented.
"Of our half million drinking shops"
| says Mr.. Reinach, "one-tenth provide
at the same time alcohol and women.
| There are in France $4,000 cabarets
furnishing at the same time files en-
carte. In Lille, .Rennes, garrison and
seaport towns, one-half, of these girls
are minors. BaFthelmy declares that
everywhere alcohol is the accomplish.
|. AS alcohol has immeasurably
increased violent criminality, madness,
tuberculosis, poverty; as it has
diminished the physical n moral
value of a notable fraction. of the
laboring class; as this slows the up
ward movement of prosperity Of the
public; as the army is awakened by
an ever increasing number Of men re-
jected for alcoholic de~generacies; as
longevity is VIGOROUSLY rare among
drinkers; as alcoholic heredity has
been long enough at work already to
create a class Of degenerates,
ataxiques, insane fepileptics, mysteries,
vagabonds and prostitutes; as 80 per
cent of the children who are criminals
are offspring of alcoholic ~parentage;
as alcoholism, efficient cause of NOR
bility, is also a cause Of infant NOR
tality; as it costs in drink consumed.
days of labor lost, idleness, crime re-
preston, sickness and insanity, three
milliards $4,000, 900, 1000 francs-$600, :
000, 600 a year; as the. proportion
Of alcholistic voters-impulsive, neuro-
tic, half fools, m~endicants, apaches
crowds hat stand ON the borders OF
criminality - constantly increase in
our democracy with it's universal suf-
frage-we must add together the sum