New Britain herald., 1917-06-18

.hibition: would be conflscation. They did not mean what they said because they well knew that we did not pro- pose to conflscate anything from it's rightful owners to convert to private or public use. It never was in our plan to take away their horses, wag ons and stables. their buildings. store houses or machinery. Every dollar of their investment would still be theirs. We refuse only to renew the expired license to make fiery liquors therein. Their contract with the state for a twelve-months license to prosecute . dangerous busiiness in return for the payment of a large sum of money ex- pires. and we decline to renew it. That 1t all that prohibition at any time would do.
 What they meant to ask was What will we do with our property when prohibited from making alcohol ic poison?' We answer now: make al- cohol for light and heat: make alcohol as . substitute for gasoline for power; make alcohol for powder and muni- tions of war. One of the principal constituent parts of all munitions of war is alcohol.
 CT quote from their own clip sheet for March, 1917, in a labored argu- ment against prohibition, by Daniel Russell, insisting that it would de- stroy' tho alcohol resources of the nation: Alcohol is an essential in- gredient in the production of smoke less powder. the only kind used in modern warfare. Two pounds of 1t are required to make one pound of powder and every time giant howit- ger Is fired about fifty gallons of also holiis consumed He quotes from AL col1ol Industry and Preparedness,' by Col. E. J. Moore. as saying that the present annual output of alcohol in this country would not be sufficient to supply one-third of the smokeless powder used in the four-days' engage mont at Verdun-Aduring which large calibre gums were discharged four mill lion times He quotes Hon. w. l.. Saunders, president of the American Institute of Naval Engineers and member of the naval advisory board as saying. that if the United States required ammunition to the extent ac- tually consumed in one days bonn bardment at verdun, 1t would take practically five years to furnish it. 1t Is evident therefore from their own argument that every dollar of their investment may now be profitabiy so employed, and the stock of whiskey in bond redistilled for such use with out appreciables loss.
 Loss of Revenue and Work
 '.such use completely demolishes their revenue argument: for what would 1t profit the government to collect q tax on alcohol to be sold with the addition of the tax back to itself?
 .srhey have said that prohibition would rob men of employment. This Is a part of the statement made at the hearing before the Senate.
 .'They have told us that the adop- ton of prohibition would destroy the farmers market for his grain. Not while there are armies to be fed; not while there are food riots abroad and hungry women and children at nome. We need every bushel of wheat. rye and barley and every pound of corn for bread. ss.EiRht million barrels is the annual of beer in-the city of New York. Health Commissioner Emerson states that it represents 134.000 tons of grain and 16,O00 tons of sugar and asks, Does any one seriously deny that the time has come when this enormous waste sholI be curtailed? More bread and less beer," is the cry of all reasonable people.
 The Nations Crime.
 What would be the effect upon the food conservation of the nation if tho 11O,000,000 bushels of grain made into 1000, ,000.00O gallons of beer and 100000 gallons, of whiskey con- stunned in this country last year had been groupd, intp AQrr and ,Raked into bread,a It would give toaf of bread every day in the year toS, 15,000.OOO families! The national defense coun- ell make the statement, In supporting prohibition for the period of the war, that six billion pounds of foodstuffs go into the manufacture of intoxica ting liquor every year.
 "It is a collassal crime to convert this food into poison while the world
 starves and the price of food is be. yond the reach of the poor.
 '.stop this waste. grind that 11O.' 900, ,oOO bushels of grain into fou1 and bake it into bread to feed the hungry women and children as wal done upon the declaration of wal l while it was still Darkest Russia. Let us begin the conservation of ou1
 food supply by the immediate adop ton of national prohibition before thu evil day of war famine and bread l riots. come.
 Bread! Nations cannot fight or l an empty stomach. and the hunger l cry of the women and children a home will dishearten the men ant l threaten revolution. Food! Cut of
 the food supply and the war game il i done.
 1 America Not Immune. l sAnd think you that we are tt 1 escape the privations of war? If thi l war against the Central Powers is t, l be won we must not only feed our I selves but France and England an'