Weekly journal-miner., 1915-11-24
DUTCH TRY TO HELP
 VICTIMS OF DRINK

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, Oct.
 17-(Correspondence Of the Associat-
 cd Press).-"If you arc victim of
 alcohol, come and talk it over with us
 at the consultation bureau at The
 Hague" In this helpful spirit a
 strong effort is being made by the
 Dutch authorities to combat the evil
 of over-indulgence in intoxicants.
 The bureau has been installed in
 spacious premises in the center of The Netherlands residence city and
 every Wednesday an eminent medi, cal man and other helpers are in attendance to give friendly advice and to find work for men and women ad- dicted to intemperancc wno find them selves virtually outcasts owing to their unfortunate habits. It has been found that talking at" those people who nave
 fallen victims to the drink habit has proved in most cases ineffective and now the more sensible method of appealin gto reason and human feel ings is being tried with apparently good results.
 Many men and women attend these weekly consultations, coming from all parts of the country-ge generally, it must be said. at the instance of we'll wishing employers, relatives and friends-to confer with the expert specialist in charge of the bureau. No sermon is read to the victims of the weakness. The applicant is asked in kindly way about his or her occupa- ton and mode of life in general and as to the cause of his or her lack Of occupation. Usually the reply indi cates the persons lack of will-powcr when invited to drink. The doctor in quires why the victim does not refuse the liquor and the answer generally comes, q cannot, for then I am asked the reason and I don't know what to say" Why" says the doctor, nov you can tell them that the doctor or dcrs you not to take intoxicants Try that for a week and then come back and see me"
 In IT g. instances work is provided for tho drink victim and the employer Is requested and consents to exercise a kind of friendly supervision over his new employee and to report re- suits.
 Reports of the brueau show that the system is working well in hundreds of cases, especially when the man or woman is comparatively young. Others are too far gone to be to moral suasion, but even some of these listen to the kindly ad vice and try again and again to over come their own weakness, but many of them inevitably drift once more and eventually find their way into the prisons and municipal and state insti- tutions for the mentally deficient.
 Meanwhile a campaign is also beng carried on by the numerous abstinence societies throughout the country to combat the drink evil. Congresses were held in the third week of Sep | cmber at Devcnter by the General Netherlands Total Abstaincr's union and at Utrecht by the National Com mission to Counteract Alcoholism, while at Utrecht and exposition was leld to show the bad effects of indul- 5cnce in strong drink.
 Speakers at these congresses point ,d out to their audiences the steps aken by the various belligerent coun ries to prevent alcoholism in the armies and the beneficial effects the measures taken had had on the health oi the troops undergoing so many pri- 'ations and hardships in the trenches. 1t the same time it was argued that hese regulations, having proved their 'alue in increasing the efficiency of he soldiers, should not be confined o the armies, but should be extended o the peoples in general as had been lone in Russia with success.
 
 Some of the military commanders in Holland have issued strict orders in he garrison cities under martial law O prevent excessive drinking both .mong the soldiers and the people. In Ilinge, for instance, all clubs, cafes, nd liquor stores must be closed from n hour before sunset until all hour liter sunrise, and heavy fines are in licted for contravcntions of the reg lations. Other places too, have sim lar restrictions, but in general in The Netherlands the rules governing the ale Of intoxicating drink are very :. lastic.