The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-06-29
SAYS PROHIBITION
MIGHT DIVIDE NATION
Lodge, Against Spirits,
Would Permit Wine
and Beer.

WASHINGTON, D. c., June %
Shunting the question of foot control
onto a siding, the Senate yesterday
gave prohibition the right Of way,
some OF The Senators arguing that
bread will be twice as high II The brew
ing of beer is stopped. 1t is generally
regarded us certain that distiIIation OF
whiskey and other high-proot spirits
will be prohibited as war measure,
bat the Senate seems to be almost
evenly divided on the question Of stop
ping the manufacture Of beer and light
wines.
Many Of the Senators are inclined
to believe that absolute prohibition
would produce great discomfort, espe-
cially in cities having large foreign
populations. Senator Lodge, Of Massa-
?husetts, who said that he fayOrs pro-
hibition of distilled spirits, called at
tention to the great mass of loyal Ger
mans in the United States. They
are accustomed to drinking beer and
regard it as harmless. They should
not be antagonized," he said THE
amendment recommended by the Sen
ate Agriculture committee, which
would prohibit the manufacture of all
intoxicants except light wines, would
throw hundreds of thousands out Of
employment result in $500 100000 of
lost revenue on whiskey and beer, pro.
duce widespread dissatisfaction and
dop0ar In manu- coOtiOneO
While it will probably be lmpossi-
BILE to tell until the roll Is called
what attitude the Senate will as
sumo on the proposal that the manu-
facture of intoxcants with a small
alcoholic content be permitted, while
those of a high percentage be pro.
hibited, it is certain that the Senate
will not adopt the Senate Agriculture
committees recommendation for
discrimination between beer and VINE.
The committees plan, which carried
by the narrow margin of one vote in
the committee meeting, would prohibit
the use of grain in brewing beer, but
would allow the use of fruits in mskinS
wine, if the President believed perish
able food products would be wasted IL
not used for that purpose,
Representative Longwor:h, Of Ohio,
was one of the Legislators who as.
serted that the supply of bread will
be diminished unless the production
of beer is allowed to continue. MALT
sprouts" he said, "are procurable only
from the mailing of grain in the brew
ing Of beer. If no beer is brewed there
will be DO malt sprouts, and malt
sprouts are necessary in making yeast,
except in factories equipped to use de-
natured alcohol. A lack OF malt
sprouts will decrease the yeast supply
so per cent. and the price Of bread win
be doubled"
Senator Lodge made much the same
argument in the Senate. "Our first
duty" said the Senator, "is to win the
war, and prohibition may cause a dl.
Vided nation. The effort to impose
general prohibition on the country has
been mixed with this food bill. l do
not like legislation that closes the
breweries and saves the vineyards. To
commander the liquor in the ware.
houses, as proposed by this measure,
means loss Of $3.50, 100000 in revenue,
and a loss of $14O,OOO,OOO more on beer
taxes"
Senator Lodge said that Russian
soldiers are being allowed limited
amounts Of vodka; that the Germans
have not been restricted on beer; that
each French soldier is allowed q pint
of wine 4 week, end that England Is
giving her fighters something strong
err Senator Lodge directed attention
to the fact that the effort to impose
prohibition on the country has been
mixed up with food conservation" by
Congress itself and not by the admin.
istration.