Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-03-22
"The Truth About Vodka"


The liquor interests are circulating
carloads Of literature intended to con-
vince the uniformed that the imper-
ial decree against booze in Russia is
a myth; that the Cars prohibition
does not prohibit; that it is impossi-
BILE for men to behave better than the
rum trust wishes them to behave; that
drunkenness is just as common as
ever; that prohibition vodka Is many
times worse poison than licensed vod-
ka; that more is drunk because the
act is in violation of law; that COM
munities are no better off than before,
because the great American traflc
has proven that with everybody drink
ing or drunk the people of the earth
are as near heaven as it is possible to
get.
We have had several mails laden
with this sort of stuff Of late. other
papers and business houses and homes
are receiving it. Probably some be-
lieve and sieze upon the excuse thus
presented 10 make of themselves as
big fools as do the ignorant Slavic
peasants WHO swill vodka. But one
of the greatest newspapers in the
country, the Chicago Tribune. has
answered, calmly and convincingly.
the volume of lies. Here is what it
says:
A circular issued by the National
Model License league seeks to correct
what it describes as the false reports
and exaggerated notions concerning
Russia's prohibition regime. "A letter
from our consul general at Moscow,
7ir. Snodsrass, accompanies the cir
cular, but that communication is
neither complete nor up to date.
The truth is, it is not easy to
''straighten cur the rather knotty
facts about the anti-drink measures
that have been taken in the various
Russias of the white car. But mis-
conception is by no means limited 10
the side which the model license league
by implication indicts for careless and
inaccurate claims.
Russian prohibition, as it is called,
does not rest on mere and single
ukase of the autocratic emperor, and
it is, indeed, fallacy to say that the
prohibition decree is comparable to
the decree of Peter the Great ordering
the cutting of boards as a step toward
westernization. The whole movement
for prohibition in Russia is national
liberal and democratic. The cars
first rescript on the drink question was
elected by petitions and agitation, by
temperance work, and press propa-
ganda. Even if the war had not come
the ministry and the parliament would
have taken certain moderate measures
toward combating intemperance, but
Of course, progress would have been
slow. The great conflict and the ma
tional emergency precipitated SER
les of strong measures.
These began with a military order
Of the commander in chief closing all
vodka shops-government dispensar-
ies-during mobilization. This order
was so heartily and universally APP
proved that an imperial decree con-
tinued it indefinitely. The govern
ment vodka shops were thus closed
and have remained closed. The sale
Of vodka in hotels and restaurants.
except those of the first class. was
prohibited at the same time. AS to
beer and light wines, a law passed by
the parliament-the duma and the
council of state-left the regulation Of
these to the city, town, and village
governments. Many Of these have
used their privilege to enforce strict
prohibition. Others have been less
drastic; still others have passed ordi-
nances that are not very vigorously
enforced. Private houses are said to
have liberal supplies Of liquor, but
this applies only to the rich.
Thus it is true, in the first place,
that prohibition does not wholly and
fully prohibit even in Russia. 1t is
true also that local government has
not been overridden IN Russia with
reference to prohibition. But it is
emphatically true, despite skepticism
and speculation, that the vodka shops
are closed, that hotels and restaurants
cannot now sell the national beverage,
and that in many cities even beer and
wine are to be had only at first class
restaurants, or on orders Of physicians
and in fixed quantities.
The government is losing about ST.
O0O,O 900 day as result of these meas
ures, but Russia is sober and her eff
ficiency has increased at least 30 per
cent.