Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-05-30
HOW PROHIBITION !
AFFECTS EUROPE
FAvORS ITS ADOPTION here
70 Drink or Not to 01iWoerhie ceun.
try Must Deeide-Russia Has Put the
Ban on Vodka and English Indulge
Only With Meals-Mueh Drunken.
ness There at Start Of War.
BY JEANNE. JUpsoN.

U080 N0TG 0S0TS 0v "0Fs
BY JEANNE, JUpsoN.
miss Judson has just returned from
two months service in British munition
factories and at the Anstie Grange and
Hill V. A. d. hospitals In Farnham, Sur
reyl
To drink or not to drink? This Is
one Of the biggest questions Of war
time 1t has been asked and at least
partially answered by every one OF
the nations at war in Europe, and now
It is up for discussion in America.
No nation, however. has decided on
absolute prohibition so far. The man
ufacture and sale of vodka has been
stopped in Russia. in England the
liquor trafic is regulated by the de-
tense Of the realm act, and in Ger
many, where beer Is ranked high in
food value, it is portioned out to the
inhabitants in the same manner as
other foods.
There are two reasons for the aboli-
ton Of vodka in Russia and for the
defense Of the realm act in Great Brit
ain. In Russia vodka was recognized
as menace to the efficiency Of both
the men fighting at the front and OF
those working at home and. being a
grain product, it cut into the supply
of grain to be used as food. In the
same way in England the consumption
Of liquor was regulated for the double
reason Of economy and efficiency.
England Drinks Only at Meal Time.
The defense of the realm act pro-
vides for the sale of intoxicants only
between the hours Of II 80 and p. m.
and between $50 and p. m.-that il.
at luncheon and dinner time. In a
country where every one drinks with
meals this concession was considered
necessary. 1t enables the laboring peo-
pie to. have their ale and porter and
the others to have wine or whisky and
soda There is growing feeling in
England that even this should be abol-
ished and that total prohibition during
the term Of war is the right thing.
In the early months of the war In
England there was q great deal OF
drunkenness not only among men, but
among women. Especially was this
true among the very poor women In
the East End Of London. Many Of
these women whose husbands enlisted
in the army were in possession Of the
first regular income they had ever en-
jOyed in their lives. provided by the
government allowance to soldiers
wives and families, and they proceed
ed to spend it in the public houses. A
law was passed prohibiting women
with babies in arms from buying
drinks in the public houses. and this
resulted in giving many an old grand.
mother livelihood. These old women
stood outside the pubs holding women's
ba bies for a few pence, while the
mothers themselves relieved Of their
charges. went inside to drink. This
was only one Of the ugly details that
led to the passage Of the defense Of
the realm act.
Treating Made illegal.
Even this did not entirely abolish
drunkenness. 1t was claimed that men
who never drank to excess now drank
great quantities during the luncheon
and dinner hour because they couldn't
get it at other hours. To make this
condition less exaggerated treating
was made crime. and men could only
buy for themselves. Even this meas
ure is often cleverly sidcstepped by
various ruses. especially in clubs.
though treating has to great extent
been actually abolished.
AS the war goes on. however. and
the need for conserving every re-
source. especially every food resource.
increases the sentiment in favor OF
prohibition grows. not alone among
people who believe in prohibition for
its own sake. but among many people
who are themselves drinkers and who
would under ordinary circumstances
consider prohibition law as an In
fringement Of their God given rights.
Great Need Of Prohibition Hero.
The need for prohibition In wartime
is perhaps greater in America than IN
other countries. 1t Is we who are ex-
pected 10 supply not ohly ourselves.
but the other warning nations, with
food, and very large part Of our
grain products yearly goes into the
making OF whisky and beer.
In times of unusual mental excite
ment people who drink drink more,
and people who are unaccustomed to
drinking drink in honor Of the unusual
circumstances AS America awakens
to the reality OF war we will have the
same experiences OF drunkenness that
were manifested in Great Britain. II
is not probable that we will have the
same experience with our women. 1t
IS not the poorer classes among women
who drink in the United States. but
those whose position is such that they
might be expected to set an example
i'll self control and abstemiousness
AS an alternative for absolute prohi-
bition 1T has been suggested that the
brewing and distilling industries pay
n large part Of the expense Of the war
10 special taxes. These they are will
ing to assume.
The question now under discussion