Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-04-14
PROHIBITION WILL
NOT Be ORDERED BY /.
BRITISH CABINET
Will Be Left To the People
For Action Through House
of Commons
COLONIES WILL Be
CONSULTED BY CABINET
Peace RumOrs Uppermost In
British Mind As Parlia-
ment COnvenes
(By Wilbur S. Forrest United Press
Staff Correspondent.)

LondCc, April l4.--Prohibition will
not be ordered by the British cabinet.
After several conferences the ministry
decided that the question of prohibiting
the sale Of ntoxcants should be left
to the people for action through the
house OF commons.
THIS announcement was made today
by Premier Asquith when parliament
convened in what may prove to be one
Of the most important sessions Of the
war.
AS the two houses met for their de.
liberations the liqum question and ru-
morS of an early peace which are now
being circulated were uppermost in the
public mind. No sooner had the house
Of commons formally convened than a
query was addressed to the premier as
to the decision reached by the cabinet
on the liquG question. Asquith replied
that the ministry had concluded that
the commons, and not the government,
should decide such vital matter
Lewis Harcourt, secretorv for tho
colonies, intimated in the house of com.
mons that the government would con.
suit Canada and other self-governina
colonies of the British empire when the
time arrives to discuss peace. The in.
timatiOn that the British colonies
whicn are aiding the mother country
in the war will have a part in drawing
up peace terms was made in response
to the question as to the consideration
that was to be shown the overseas
possessions Harcourt declared he had
no observations to make as to the prob.
ability Of an early peace.
In the statement which Lord Kitch.
ener will make before the lords the
war is expected to lay special stres,
upon the absolute necessity of action
which will guarantee n greater produc.
tion Of war supplies, it is expected A.
mtemperance is held to be one of the
principal causes for the failure Of the
English wrkmon to produce the needed
supplies, Kitchener is expected to urge
Stringent measures Tor control Of the
liquor traffic. Not upon the army in
the field but upon the home army will
be laid the responsibility for the pres
eut situation in France and Belgium
where the Germans still hold Their
trencnes upon allied soil
With the announcement from Walter
Runciman, president Of the board OF
trade, that $4,000 English women have
Offered their services for work in fac
tories or in any other pursuits to which
they might be assigned, there was q
demand today that the men Of the ma
tion rise to the emergency which the
country faces.
The session conyeniug today was dis
tinctly a "war session. Men in
khaki, fresh from the trenches, were tC
be seen in the corridors and on the
floor.
The reports from Lord Kitchener
and Chancellor Lloyd-George were
awaited with the greatest interest. II
was ieemed certain that the announce
ments from these ministers would de
termIne the action that may be taken
on the prohibition question.
Under Secretary for War Tcnnant
announced in the house o' common.
that beer would be the only liquor per
.mittei in cantecns hereafter Thi.
statement WAS interpreted as an indi
cation that parliament may enact lcgs
latol prohibiting the sale Of spirit.
but permitting traffic In beer and light
wines.