South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-10
RUSSIA IN NINE
MONTHS SOBEREGT
NATION IN WORLD
indications Are That If Election
Were Held Now Rum Crowd
Would Not Poll Twenty Per
Cent of Votes.
Bv Frances Murray.

PETROGRAD, May 1O.-If a vote OF
the Russian people were taken today
on the subject Of re-establishing the
traffic in vodka. I doubt if the drink
demon would poll 20 per cer l.
Russia, from one OF the most
drunken, has become the most sober
country in the world.
Rich are in the same boat with
the poor. Not only vodka shops are
closed. but beer, wine and other alco-
holic drinks are prohibited in clubs
and fine restaurants.
An investigation a few years ago by
the Imperial Technical society showed
that among the workmen in factories
80 per cent took alcohol regularly.
Today the only drinking left is Sc
cret consumption Of u-de-colOgne
OF even a kind Of varnish, by a few
friends whom the drink habit it has
enslaved-
Order Now the Vogue.
As for the masses. life both in town
and country has altogether changed.
Provinces two thousand miles apart
tell the same story. Where formerly
quarrels, fights and even serious
crimes were common on every holiday
now there is good Will and good
order.
Worlmen in the towns and the
peasants are saving money, dressing
better, and are altogether better off.
Notwithstanding the fact that rates
and taxes are heavier this year than
ever before.
a short time ago a number OF
''zemstvOs," or county councils. made
an exhaustive inquiry amongst the
peasants as to the results on the
villages Of the prohibition OF alcohol.
The peasants were asked to say
whether they thought the prohibition
ought TO be discontinued after the
war. or that things should remain al
ways as they are at present
The answer in nearly all cases was
that, once the vodka shop was open
they were too weak to keep away
from it, though they fully realized it
was practically poison to them as
well as tending TO pauperize them and
their families.
but we still went on drinking IL from
sheer habit and because it seemed
simply impossible to leave it off"
Songs on Subject.
Almost all the most recent songs
deal with the subject of the blessing
brought 10 the population by the
prohibition Of vodka NJ VaniukOff
has published recently in NOvOie Vre-
min 80 popular songs now being sung
IN the villages of the PSkOn. Eighteen
OF these chant the praises Of the new
law as to vodka and the blessing it
has brought. especially 20 the women
and the homes
But the greatest blessing from the
prohibition of alcoholic drink are ex-
perienCes in the Russian army Army
surgeons bear testimony to the fact
that operations are much more easily
performed upon soldiers who have not
been able to get drink. they are more
easily brought under the influence of
the anaesthetic administered and their
wounds are healed in a much shorter
time They prove this by referring to
their experience during the Russo
japanese war. For this reason a very
large proportion of those who had
been wounded were able to return 10
the front
The extraordinary capacity OF Off
GERS and men TO withstand the effects
OF the mOnotOny of life in the trenches
IS also accounted for by the fact of
their abstentiOn from alcohol. and
even the fatigues Of marching during
which they sometimes do not get any
sleep for two days and night do not
tell on their strength rs they used TO
in former days.