The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1917-04-27
Yarrow Appeals
to Chicagoans to
Stop Drinking
Says Patriotism Demands That Grain
Used for Liquor Be Saved for
Food
MILLIONS WASTED EVERY
WEEK

lndt IL Is the pdtriOtic duty OF every
citizen to stop the enormous waste
of grain due to the liquor traffic by
abstaining from drink at least during
the war is the sentiment expressed
in an appeal issued last week to the
people of Chicago by Philip Yarrow,
Superintendent of the Dry Chicago
Federation. The appeal follows:
To the People of Chicago:
Our country is facing the serious
situation of shortage in food sup
plies and cost of living that is in
creasing at an alarming rate. Prcsi-
dent Wilson has called upon all peo-
pic to adjust themselves with pa
triotic sacrifice to this grave condi-
ton. The President has called upon
the churches to cooperate in the gen.
eral movement of conservation by OBJ
serving Save and Sow Sunday"
Governor Lowden is urging Illinois
to save and sacrifice. Mayor Thomp-
son has wisely urged that our people
cultivate gardens this spring. He has
recently stated that people will be
starving to death in Chicago next win
ter. The Mayors office has become
a seed store and school of agriculture.
Grain in Liquor Worse Than Wasted
Millions of bushels of grain are di-
verted annually from the legitimate
channels of food supply to be used in
the manufacture of Intoxicating liq-
uors. These drinks contain a proto-
plasmic poison, so disastrous in its
effect as to call forth the severe con-
demnation OF governments, institu-
tons of science, industrial leaders and
organizations of medical men and So
biologists in every civilized country.
The Dry Chicago Federation be-
lievcs that our national situation de-
mands that every patriot shall do
what he can to relieve the threaten
ing conditions that face us. Chicago
spends $2,700,000 every week in its sa-
looms, for a commodity that brings
health and strength to no consumer.
The expenditure of this vast sum is
worse than wasted. 1t produces
crime, disease, race degeneration and
premature death. Anyone who de-
MES this, sets himself against the sci
entifc facts. Isn't it time that pa
triotic Chicago woke up?
Asks Mayor to Issue Proclamation
Let the Mayor issue a proclamation
calling upon all people voluntarily to
stop drinking. Let every priest,
rabbi and minister, every school prin-
cipal, every club president, every So
cial and religious and labor leader cry
out against the shameful iniquity of
the drink evil. It should be regarded
as mark of dishonor for any club
or patriotic home to serve intoxicat-
ing liquors in these war days. We
must not ask the working man for the
sake of efficiency in producing NUM-
tons, to cut out his booze, when we
are serving our champagne at the
leading clubs or in the home of wealth.
Alcohol entails iniquitous and Grim
inal waste wherever it is served.
With hundreds of thousands OF
human beings in abject misery and
near starvation, what sinful indul-
gence for Chicago to go on its diabol-
ical way of spending $2,700000 per
week for liquid poison. This money
would buy 800 homes every week for
working men; it would buy more
than million bushels of wheat a
week; our liquor bill each week would
put 100000 pairs of shoes on men,
women and children; it would put
10000 new suits upon the backs Of
men and women every week. who next
winter will be otherwise ragged and
cold. Chicago's liquor wastage would
buy 27,000.000 10 cent loaves of bread
In the Name of God and Starving
Humanity
In the name of God and for the
sake of starving humanity, the Dry
Chicago Federation calls upon the