The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1918-11-01
Saloons, Unsanitary, Spread Con-
tagion; Alcohol Ally of Pneu-
monia; Saloons Make Direct
and Indirect Health Attack

The Headquarters Committee of
the Wisconsin Anti-Saloon League,
October lS, sent letter to Governor
Philip asking the extension OF the
closing order so as to close saloons.
The letter is as follows:
The Wisconsin Anti-Saloon League,
representing the federated church and
temperance forces of the state, hereby
expresses approval of your advisory
order closing religious, educational,
patriotic and Liberty Loan gather
ings, and urging transportation and
industrial concerns to prevent congre-
eating of people as a means to pre-
serve our national health and war eff
hciency.
We note, however, what seems an
important oversight in the order. The
unsanitary methods of handling drink
ing glasses in saloons is VIGOROUSLY
conducive to direct contagion. Medi-
cal science tells us that the white
',blood corpusclcs. which ordinarily de-
stroy disease germs, are put to sleep
by alcohol, facilitating the rapid de-
while drinking liquor. Thus, the sa-
loon makes both direct and indirect
attack upon the national health. Your
advisory order greatly increases the
danger from this source, since with
religious, educational, patriotic and
other gatherings forbidden, the sa-
looms always notorious violators of
the states Sunday closing law have
been more than ever visited on that
day, multiplying the danger as sources
of contagion.
May we recite the fact that our
state pride was Inundated when the
U. S. Navy Department recently or
dered the Sunday closing OF Racine
saloons because our failure to enforce
Sunday closing was not only hamper
ing the output of war munitions in
that city, but was seriously interior
ing with such output in Illinois, and
multiplying the thorough enforcement
of similar law by the chief executive
of that state.
May we also cali attention to the
official testimony before Congress
Which resulted in the revocation OF
the charter of the National German
American Alliance for disloyalty; that
this organization was largely financed
by the US. Brewers Association and
individual brewers, including several
Wisconsin brewers: and to the further
well-known fact that the majority of
saloons are controlled by breweries?
In view of the above facts. consid-
erations of public health, national
safety, and just fear lest the special
immunity now enjoyed by the saloons
subject Our state to undeserved criti-
clsm, urge the extension of your adj
visory order, at least so far as to re-
4uire observance of the statute clos
ing saloons on Sunday. We therefore
respectfully petition you by executive
proclamation to order the immediate
enforcement of the present Sunday
closing law and to supplement the
present advisory order by asking sa-
looms on week days to observe the
same voluntary closing as now advis-
ed to pool halls, bowling alleys,
prayer meetings, and other places of
congregation.
(, Your public demand for war eff
cheney and destruction of pro-German-
ism preclude the thought that consid
erations of business or politics could
weigh with you against the national
health, the winning of the war, or the
destruction of Germanism in Amer
lea. We therefore expectantly await
your order enforcing the statute clos
ing saloons on Sunday and applying
the same closing rule to saloons as to
other places during week days.
Thanking you in advance, we beg
to remain,
Yours for national health and vic
tory for Americanism,
Wisconsin Anti-Saloon League.
Henry Colman, Secretary.
Milwaukee with bars closed NAV
seem an impossibility to some folks.
but Milwaukee may as we'll begin to
get used to it, for National Prohibi-
ton will turn the trick.