The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-05-26
HOW PROHIBITION
AFFECTS EUROPE
Country Must Dccide"-Ruseia
Has Put the Ban on Vodka.
(By JEANNE JUDSON.)

Miss Judson has just returned
from two months service In British
munition factories and at the Anstis
Farnham. Surrey)
To drink or not to drink? This ID
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 il is up for discussion in Amer
/ lea.
No nation, however has decided on
absolute prohibition SO far. The
manufacture and sale of vodka has
been stopped in Russia, in England
the liquor traffic is regulated by the
| defense of the realm act, and In Ger
| many, where beer Ia ranked high in
| food value. it is po"tioned out to the
inhabitants in the same manner az
! other foods
There are two reasons for the aboli-
| ton of vodka In Russia and for the
I, defense OF the realm act In Great
| Britain. In Russia vodka was recog-
nized 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 con-
| sumption of liquor was regulated for
| the double reason of economy and ef-
| fcienCy.
England Drinks Only at Meal Time.
! The defense of the realm act pro-
vides for the sale OF intoxicants only
! between the hours of ESQ and r.
| NJ. and between $50 and 8 p. NJ
! that is, at luncheon and dinner time.
! In a country where everyone drinks
with meals this concession was con-
! sidered necessary. 1t enables the la
| boring people to have their ale and
| porter and the others to have wine or
] whiskey and soda. There is n EroW--
! ing feeling in England that even this
should be abolished and that total
prohibition during the term OF war
! is the right thing.
In the early months of the war IN
! England there was 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 en-
| listed in the army were in possession
| OF the first regular income they had
ever enjoyed in their lives, provided
! by the government allowance to SOL
ders' wives and families. and they
| proceeded to spend 1t In the public
| houses. A law was passed prohibit
ing women with babies in arms from
| buying drinks In the public houses.
and this resulted in giving many an
old grandmother livelihood. These
old women stood outside the pubs
/ holding womens babies for few
pence. while the mothers themselves.
relieved of their charges. went inside
10 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 II at other hours.
To make this condition less exagge-.
rated treating was made crime. and
men could only buy for themselves.
Even this measure is often cleveriy
sidestepped by various ruses espe-
cially In clubs. though treating has
10 a great extent been actually aboi--
ished. D
As the war goes on. however. and
the need for conserving every re-
source. especially every food resources.
increases the sentiment in favor Of
prohibition grows. not alone among
/ neopIe,swhe are themselves drinkers
| cumstances consider prohibition
law as an infringement OF their 0od-
given rights.
Great Need of Prohibition HeroA
The need for prohibition tn waYU
time is perhaps greater in America
than in other countries. 1t Is we who
are expected to supply not only our
selves. but the other warning nations.
with food, and a very large part OF
our grain products yearly goes into
the making Of whisi1ey 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 UNI
usual circumstances. AS America
awakens to the reality OF war we will
have the same experiences OF drunk
enness that were manifested in Great
Britain. 1t is not probable that we
will have the same experience with
our women. 1t is not the poorer
classes among women who drink in
position is such that they might be
expected to set an example in self
control and abstemiousness.
As an alternative for absolute pro-
hibition il has been suggested that
the brewing and distilling industries
pay a large part of the expense OF
the war in special taxes, These they
are willing to assume.
The question now under discussion
in America is not whether prohibition
is good or bad thing in time OF
peace. but whether a luxury which
can only be supported at the expense
OF necessities should not be abolished
during our time of stress