The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1915-04-14
Prohibition In
Russia to Stay
Edict to Army and People De-
clared to Mean Punishment of
Intoxicants from Empire
Forever

Prohibition in Russia has come
to stay, in the opinion of that
country's officials at the Rus
sian embassy in Washington, be-
cause its benefits have exceeded
even the most sanguine expec-
tations. The Tsar has pledged
his word of honor that the gov
eminent shall never again en-
gage in the sale of liquor, which
is a far reaching pledge, mas
much as the sale of liquor here
tofore has been a strict govern
ment monopoly.
Prohibition prevails in Russia
now, legally and actually. This
statement of fact is made on au-
thority of the counselor of the
Russian embassy here, A. Scher-
batskoy, chamberlain to the En-
peror, in refutation of certain
claims to the contrary recently
published by the National
Wholesale Liquor Dealers Asso-
citation of America. At the open
ing of the war the Tsar issued
an edict or ukase prohibiting
throughout the empire the sale
of vodka, strong wines and 9TH
er intoxicating liquors, during
mobilization.
The beneficial effects we're so
pronounced that the prohibition
was later extended to the end
of the war. The question of the
sale of light wines and light
beers was left to local option in
the cities, but not in rural COM
munities, and practically all the
cities, Mr.. Scherbatskoy says,
soon passed laws prohibiting the
sale of all alcoholic liquors.
Claims of Association
The claims of the liquor deal
ers association, based on a let
ter received from John H. Snod-
grass, American consul-general
at Moscow, are:
That prohibition is not en-
forced even in all the cities and
towns of the Russian empire !;
that prohibition in Russia is no
more real than in Kansas, Maine,
Georgia or any other American
prohibition state; that drinks
may be obtained in the Moscow
restaurants; that the sale of vod-
ka has not been prohibited for
all time; that Russian breweries
will reopen in the spring.
| The embassy's information is
that absolute prohibition is en-
forced in almost all the cities
and in all towns and that it is
real prohibition; that drinks can
not not be secured in restau-
rants; and that the breweries
will not reopen in the spring.
Mr.. Snodgrass' letter says that
the sale of intoxicants is for
hidden in 80 per cent of all cities
and towns in Russia. The en-
baosy does not deny that there
is some illegal traffic in liquor,
but what there is is under cover
in violation Of the law and not
in the open. The Tsar's edict is
an emergency measure lasting
only through the war, but there
is every reason to believe that
the legislative branch of the gov
eminent will write prohibition
into the statutes when the war
is over.
Shown in Mobilization
Mobilization of troops in Rus
STA in the past usually has been
seriously retarded by the drink
ing Of intoxicants," said Mr..
Scherbatskoy. ''It has been some
times two or three weeks long
er than estimated to get the men
together. Farewell parties were
held in the local communities for
the boys who were leaving, re-
sultlng in postponement of their
departure. At the beginning of
this war, under the prohibition
edict, mobilization went forward
without delays and the men were
ready several days before they
were needed. These results were
SO satisfactory that the order
was extended through popular
demand throughout the war.
| Russia has been prepared for
this prohibition edict for some
! time. The onuornnoopf hos