The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1917-05-04


half hours before the passage of the
war resolution, Representative Little
of Kansas filed very important bill,
founded on his experience as Col
onel in the army. So important he
deemed it he did not even wait the
passage of the declaration of war be-
fore presenting it.
Colonel Little, as secretary to the
Governor of Kansas, had raised 5000
men, the quota from his state for the
Spanish-American war. He also
equipped, trained, transported, and
took them into battle in the Philip
pines, where he served year and 4
half.
His practical experience in both the
Sanish-American and Philippine wars
taught him that the efficiency of
troops during organization is reduced
about 80 per cent by the use of alco-
holic liquors and the evils resulting
therefrom. The bill filed by him pro-
hibits the sale of liquor within 20
miles of any camp, barracks, fort,
post, navy yard, school or station of
the army, navy or marine corps.
We are eager to profit by the add
vice the allies are offering us after
their experience in this terrible war,
as TO means and methods in modern
warfare Why is it not just as wise
to heed the lesson taught by their war
experience with what is declared by
England, France and Russia to be
their greatest enemy-drink!
We know how a great ship waited
in the dry dock for repairs at most
critical time, because the workmen
would not leave the public house (sa-
loom where they were already inca
pacitated by drink, and how the in
toxication of sailors prevented the
sailing of troop ship when it was
imperative that troops should go at
once to the relief of their comrades.
These may seem extreme cases, but
let us remember that even one or two
glasses of beer are sufficient to reduce
the efficiency of the marksman. That
by the use of liquor one becomes more
susceptible to danger from excessive
heat or extreme cold, though he may
himself be unconscious of either, be-
cause the nerves of sense have been
deadened by alcohol.
1t is known to every student of
human nature that those who have
been indulging in drink are much
more apt to be led on to the twin vice
of impurity, with exposure to those
vice diseases which are admitted to
reduce the efficiency of the troops to
an alarming effect 1t was stated in
one instance in the present war, that
one troop was more incapacitated for
service from this cause than were the
soldiers on the firing line from the
bullets of the enemy.
The cry has gone up all over the
country, to increase the food supply
by planting all available space. Even
the little city back yard must be made
to help supply the family table. and
all the surplus food be carefully pre-
served by canning or drying. We are
told that an unfavorable season
would with the great shortage of Our
present food supply, reduce us to
point far below anything we have
known since the Civil Warl
If we close down Immediately our
breweries and dstilleries we could
save much grain suitable for food or
fattening livestock. This might be a
blessing in disguise to the distiller,
for before the whisky he is making
now has time to "age" the whole of
the United States, if not the whole
world will undoubtedly have gone
dry, at the rate they are moving now.
The brewery and the distillery with
their sterilizing and refrigerating
plants are easily converted into cream
cries. canneries, meat packing houses
and ice plants, as has already been
done in some cases.
Moreover the alcohol in all the liq-
uor now on hand could be extracted
and used in the manufacture of nuni-
tons. No longer can the intelligent
person raise the cry of the multitude
of unemployed that would be thrust
upon us, if all the saloons were closed,
for with the call to the "colors" of an
unlimited number, and the eight per-
sons that are required back of every
man at the front to keep things go
ing, no man able to do days work,
or even part of days work, need be
idle. Let not our sympathy for those
who could readily find honest employ
ment. in which our country now needs
them, be deterrent factor for one
moment in our suppression of the liq-
uor traffic.
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