Evening star., 1916-08-13
INTERNATIONAL DRIVE ON ALCOHOL

Delegates to the annual Catholic
Total Abstinence Union from every
state in tn .
French and English Union have just
now met in con-
11VPdSoAua. vention in Wash
ington and the incident serves to
recall what has been done and what Is
actually doing internationally by par
liaments and by governments against
alcoholism.
A series of articles has been run in
the Daily Chronicle in England by Mr..
Arthur Nee, a campaign has begun In
the admirable weekly of Paris. La Re-
vue Hebdomadaire. for "a general inquest
on all reforms and necessary repara-
tions now and after the war" and prin-
cipally the prohibition of alcoholism.
and an appeal from French mothers
and wives has been addressed to the
French parliament and government.
From the latter document. addressed
to me by the committee Of Union OF
French Women Against Alcoholism"
extract the following:
Due to government action France
may be delivered of a domestic invader,
alcohol; we expect from you liberating
gesture; the abolition of the privileges
accorded distilleries. the suppression OF
the consumption of alcohol. the de-
velopment of the use Of industrial al
cohol.
Private interests should yield to
those of country. Millions of lives are
in jeopardy! France has the right to
the physical and moral force OF All ner M
their future. the hour is unique: To-
morrow our victorious armies will re-
turn the family circle will be recon-
situted. We give our children to France
sorely tried; they should not become
the victims of alcohol. Protect them:
save the French race! Deliver France
from the pest of alcohol"
Mr.. Arthur Nee writes in his articles:
I'VE shall never know how much Of
the shortage of shells
p,;+o;,,, NJ was due to drink, but
it was more than any
Drink Bill. of us would like to
know. The drink bill since war pc
gan must have reached f35o.ooo'Vo"'
We must have spent more money on
drink than we have spent on sneiis'
and we have gone on spending "hiie
Mr.. Asuuith's words ring out that we
need every penny's worth OF streneth
to win the war. Men talk of 100000
aeropIanes to end the war. But we
shall soon have spent enough on drink
in war time to buy 100000 aeropianes'
and we must have spent enough al
ready to have fed with cartridges
every machine gun on the British frons
since the war began: l tnink NIX II n~Ured w0uad
more of our financial strength into
this Oiauor) trade since August, 1919.
than we have actually fred (shells) IN
France.
strength and money. too. found ootn
in prohibition, which has Increased heI
efficiency 80 per cent and. intrenchen
her finances as in rock. FRANCE put
ting this thing away from ner, mas
covered herself with immortal glory
and astonished the world"
Mr.. Nee also invites attention TO the
danger to the navy, thus:
There seems no doubt as to where
the navy stood on prohibition and the
statement drawn up by admiralty had
this note of wisdom in it: Total pro-
hibition with all it's attendant objec-
tions and disadvantages would at least
have the general effect that all classes
would at last realize the existence ana
seriousness of the war and that they
were personally involved in its con-
sequences.
M. Charles Richet of the French
Academy of Sciences has opened the
war on alcoholism in the Revue Heb
war as one of the necessary moral and
economical influences and reforms.
NJ Richet commences his attack on
alcoholism by suggesting a hypothe-
sis that something
n.yo.4o4;rr new had been dis
covered, new in hu-
Discovery. man alimentation.
small in price and in great quantity
The substance is so acrid in taste and
so penetrating in odor that even the
lowest animals refuse it with disgust.
Besides, it is intoxicating and poison
Gus, and causes loss of reason ana
death. In small doses it brutalizes. at
tacks the liver. brain. corrupts prog
eny, and finally takes the miserable
victim to the asylum for idiots or men
dicants.
The malefactors who would impose
this pest will be treated as criminals
or at least they will be prohibited from
propagating their evildoing! One
should be without indulgence for their
Infamous commerce? And NJ. Ricnet
exclaims: Alas! alas! What Illusion!
What lamentable Illusion! The poison
is sought after with madness. The per-
sons who produce it maintain -four
jsbine commerce The retailers have
multiplied so that they represent the
tenth of the French population, and
their influence grows each day. the
asylums are filled, crimes increase,
hospitals are crowded, puny, abortive
infants are born, the race Is menaced
with extinction in opprobrium.
And NJ. Richet asks il the picture he
has drawn appears too dark. The alco-
hol dealer replies with these argu-
ments: Alcohol is an aliment; II large
Quantities of alcohol are noxious. small
doses give energy and gayety. Alcohol
is a vast industry and maintains
100000 French: ruin to this industry
would lead to irreparable losses. and
even menace the economical equilibrium
and thef budget.
NJ Richet treats such arguments as
mere sophisms. First. alcohol cannot
become an aliment be-
Attach nm cause of combustion in
the tissues. Small doses
0iCouoi. may appear as a stimu-