Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-12-03
SEAPORT Is NOW
NONALCOHOLIC
Imperial Edict in Gateway to
Rough Country Carefully
Observed
PERMANENT PROHIBITION
Everyone Wants 1t; Town Was
One of Gayest Before
War Started
PERMANENT PROHIBITION


Vladivostok, Dec. 1. - VodkaIess
Vladivostok has been realized in spite
OF the predictions that a seaport which
is the gateway to a rough frontier
country could not be rendered nonal-
coholic.
The imperial edict against alcohol
has been so thoroughly enforced that
but little liquor is sold. Punishment
OF bootleggers is so harsh that few
men care to engage in the forbidden
profits it offers
Vodka Is the one drink which per-
sons of all classes of society cherish
in Siberia just as in European Russia.
Before the Cars order against LIQUOR
vodka sold in Vladivostok at about
hfty kopecks or twenty-five cents gold
a pint. Harbin, which is located in
Manchuria and consequently is under
Chlnese control, is the nearest place to
Nladivostok where liquor is now sold
ana the liquor smuggled in from that
point FOR secret sale in Nladivostok
brings as much as five rubles, or about
$3.50 gold, pint. This price is pro-
hlbltiVe for most men of the humber
classes. Yet a few of them manage
to get liquor and an occasional
drunken peasant is encountered
through the streets.
Few Attempts to Evade
There seems to be little disposition
on the part of persons higher in the
social scale to evade the prohibition
Tor alcoholic drinks in the restaurants
and music halls. If the tip is heavy
| enough wine may be had in private
dlnlng-rooms at some of the cafes.
But the walters must be sure of their
customers and subject them to the
doRraa hnfnrn
hidden beverage
The difficulty and expense of getting
nquor are so great that pleasure-Iov-
ing Fladivostok has apparently de-
clded to get along without it and the
cares, chantants and music halls are
making merry on ginger ale, coffee
and Russian tea served with lemon.
me charges for these drinks are quite
as high as those for alcohol in or
binary times so the spender who en-
JOYS liquor chiefly because it is cost
~ can still feel that his money is
being kept in circulation.
Il haven't taken any liquor for
three months" the manager of one of
the important banks in Vladiyostok
remarked to the correspondent of the
Associated Press. "I don't miss it
now and would feel rather guilty if
drank in violation of the imperial
order. Most of my friends feel the
same way. The folks in the banking
business have all seen the economic
value of prohibition. 1t has jumped
savings accounts up at rapid rate"
Order May Be Permanent
When asked If the war order against
alcohol would be made permanent the
bank manager said he thought such
action quite probable. "The women of
siberia are quite as keen to have per-
manent prohibition as the women of
| European Russia" he replied. "They
are urging it in every way possible
1t means more food and comforts for
them and their children. Women talk
to me nearly every day about il. They
have money now in spite of the higher
cost of living brought about by the
war"
Before the war vIadivostok was one
of the gayest places in Asia. It's cafes
ran at full blast until 6 or Z o'clock
IN the morning and dinners seldom
got under way before midnight. The
miners, railway men, cattlemen and
furhunters from Eastern Siberia all
centered at Vladivostok, and the sail
ors joined them in large numbers. But
the war has brought many changes.
Siberia has been drained of men of
military age. Now the shipping has
grown amazingly and there are sell
dom less than ten freight steamers in
the harbor discharging war supplies.
Consequently the floating population is
large and the all-night revels would
probably go on as usual were il not
that liquor has vanished, the police
require all places of amusement to
close at ! o'clock and take wanderers
in custody who are not properly ac-
counted for at their lodgings by that
time.
Many Political Jokes
So the dinner hour in the Siberian
Paris has been moved up to 10 o'clock
and the orchestra and performers in
the cafes chantants open their pro-
grams at that hour. The gayest of
these cafes is now Offering a revue
something. after the order of those
produced in European capitals. Poll
teal jokes are the chief feature of the
performance. One of the actors i'm
personateS the Sultan and deplores at
great length the fate into which he
has been trapped by Germany. An
other actor caricatures Emperor
Francis Joseph, with very exaggerated
whiskers, and is given sound drub-
bling by a muscular young woman,
dressed to represent Hungary, who
charges the aged monarch with gross
mismanagement of affairs Two
young women, representing Rumania
and Greece appear with baskets la
Deled Neutrality" and endeayor to
get a high bid for their baskets. The
revue closes with tableau in which
Russia and her allies are all repre-
sented by young women who stand
triumphant over actors representing
down-east enemies.
Women Run Circus
Vladivostock also has circus
which has enjoyed a run of several
months and is housed in permanent
quarters. But the Czar has claimed
most of the strong men and the aero
bats for his army. So the performers
are now chiefly women and animals.
A few male performers who are neu-
trails still have a place in the pro-
grams, along with the trained dogs.
cats, horses and parrots. Several
clowns beyond the military age imper-
senate Germans and delight the au-
dience with thrusts at the Kaiser.
The attendance at the circus is con-
fined chiefly to the cheaper seats and
the standing space, where soldiers and
sailors in uniform accompanied bv
their sweethearts, applaud the per
formance heartily.
Moving picture theaters are numer-
|ous in Vladivostock and very we'll at
tended. War pictures are especially
popular. In one of these theaters
the correspondent of the Associated