The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1917-05-11

Ny special interest at this tune OF
national crisis is the promotion OF
war Prohibition as a military effici-
ency measure. The government is to
call out hundreds of thousands oil
young men. II these arc to give the
nation the maximum of service they
must be protected from the saloon
The modern war technique on sea
and land demands clear heads and
quick action. This the federal gov.
eminent understands 1t has sup
pressed the army canteen and pro-
hibits the sale of alcohol on its ships
and in its navy yards.
But our eastern cities, soddcn with
drink, would nullify the wise pur-
poses OF the national authorities
Within a half mile OF the Charlestown
navy ward (Boston) &c licensed places
set their traps for the bluejackets.
Things are much the same at Ports
mouth, Brooklyn and down the line.
1t is now we'll understood that al
cohol lowers resistance to disease. II
our boys are to offer their bodies as
a defense to the nation, these bodies
should not be weakened TO the at
taeks of infectious sickness. The
surgeons in the Russian army explain
with delight that the quick recovery
from wounds in the present war las
contrasted with the Russo japanese
war; is the undoubted consequence
of the Prohibition of vodka. Let US,
too. give our wounded the best
chances of recovery. Further, our
BOYS should be protected from the
black diseases which stream from city
brothels. Close the saloon and We
nereal sicknesses shrink to a mini
mum.
II our war industries are to work to
the limit of productivity, they must
not be halnpered by the drink shop.
The famous White Paper issued by
the British government IN 1915
showed how drink was holding up re-
pairs on warships, the transport OF
material, the production of shells
in this way endangering the whole
fabric of the British empire. The En-
glish will not much longer be con-
tent to fight with one hand bound
From all corners of Britain are COM
ing demands that England place her.
self in line with Prohibition Russia.
THE government" says the London
Spectator, must at such a moment
as this show that they are not going
to let the nation go over the parapet
with rifle in one hand and glass
of stopping beer. in the other"
The food question, they now tell
us, is the central fact of the war stu
alton. Everything must be done to
conserve our supplies i'll this, the
worlds lean year. The New Repub'
lie states truly that "the largest sin
gle item of wasteful consumption il
the United States is the hundred mil
lion bushels of grain that every veal
go to the production of beer ant
whisky" and adds that billions o
14-ounce loaves of bread can BIZ
baked from the waste involved in the
manufacturing of beer" And besides
the grain are the sugar and rice anc
molasses and coal and other materials
destroyed by the brewer and distillcr
Yet oficialdom, instead of hurryint
to turn off this waste faucet, urge
us to start gardens in our backyards
The Spectator rcckons that IF W.
Il. e., the English) had stopped bar
ley being turned into beer at the be
ginning of the war and had put tina
barley into store for rainy day, w
should now be absolutely safe tfron
submarine staryation). The British