The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1918-02-01
TORONTO GLOBE SAYS
PLAY THE GAME
Vigorously Protests Against
Mother Country Using Grain
for Booze While Looking
to Canada for Food
No Impertinence in Asking Pre-
nier to Heed His Own Words
on. Drink Problem: Canada
Begrudges Even a
Grain for Booze

L TIC 1olecr OfOntO) III lis Issue
OF January II quotes the following
stirring editorial from the Toronto
| Globe.
War history of the past three years
attests the devotion of this Dominion
to the Mother Country. No sacrifice
by Canada is shirkcd or grudgcd to-
ward supporting and strengthening in
stress the Old Land she loves of the
noble cause for which civilization has
taken up arms. But it is undeniably a
source of deep disappointment and
pain to her patriotic people at the
time when they arc earnestly and
eagerly placing themselves under war
restrictions and inaugurating increas-
ed war endeavors-when Prohibition
has been directed under the War
Measures Act, when food regulations
are operating, when the nation is Or
ganizing for a record campaign of
harvest production in order to re-
spond to the overseas appeal for such
service-that the government OF Bril-
tain is still permitting, and even in
creasing, the supply of grain to brew
cries. The old world, we have been
told, is getting hungry. There is not
enough food to go around. Canada
seeks to serve by doing substantial
share towards replenishing Britain's
bread bins. She has no ambition to
fill Britain's beer watts. And she asks
the traditional opponents of British
fair play to play the game"
Lord Rhondda, the Food Controller,
i'll his message to this country, stated
that the Motherland looked to the en-
terprise and energy of Canada and the
United States to shatter Germanys
threat of starvation. Canadians arc
determined, SO far as they are con-
cerned, that this trust shall be more
than justified. They propose, to the
limit of their capacity and resources,
to pour the output OF a great harvest
/ into the reservoir of food supplies
available for Britain and her allies.
But they are unable to understand
the grounds upon which, in this time
of need the brewers of Britain are
permitted to tap that reservoir for
100000 tons OF grain each year.
The Hamilton Spectator, voicing-
this strong Canadian sentiment, sug-
gests that Canada and the United
States protect their grain shipments
against abuse by specific provisions OF
Prohibition for such purpose. 1t says:
II Canada and the United States
see fit, they can earmark all grain
sent to Great Britain so that not
an atom OF it shall be used for
the production of liquor Let Brit
ons use their homegrown grain
for the making OF intoXicants if
they please, let them not SO use
ours. This question must be set
tied in way that will satisfy the
people of Canada before Canada,
for Imperial benefit, will consent
/ The Spectators remedy would not
cure If Britain's brewers are per-
mittcd to continue to fitch their sub
stantial supplies, and are merely re-
stricted to home grown grain, the re-
suit must necessarily be that Canada
and the United States will have to
furnish increased quantities for the
genuine food consumption of the
country. The result will be indirectly
the same.
But Britain ought to be big enough
to resolutely graphic with "the trade
The nation which so scnsed its war
time obligations as to give world
/ leadership in the handling of trans
portation and shipping problems will
surely not much longer endure the
stigma of tolerating the costly raids
and shameful prohteering of so-called
vested interests which now prey upon
the very sustenance of the people. By
permitting 100000 tons OF grain to be
diverted each wartime year by brew
ing interests, Britain not only makes
! food more scarce and increases the
task of her grain producing Domin-
ions, but she also forces up the price
of bread at home and augments the
hardship OF everyone using that neces-
sity
mo man in his senses" declared
Premier Lloyd George, would sacri-
fee the food of this country for any
drink" The Dominions who strive to
maintain the food supply of the
Motherland cannot be charged with
impertinence if they appeal to the
Premier to heed his own words and
wipe out the waste. Canada feels
l1eenly concerning it. If she had her
way not grain from the food reser-
voir which she shares in filling would
go to the brewing interests, to be by
them perverted to the detriment of
her soldier sons