New-York tribune., 1918-04-26

ly after rising from their humble lunch
pitching red hot spikes to each other
and catching them with accuracy for
riveting the pillars on the elevated
lines, which proves that their muscular
coordination has not been diminished
as was that of the soldiers, whose
craftsmanship was lowered by fifty
grams Of alcohol in a recent French
experiment. "SIMON BARUCH."
But James w. johnson differs on
the question of efficiency. Stimu-
lants surely do not add to q mans
fitness for service, he reasons, and,
on the contrary, they cause drain
on nervous energy. He writes:
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: 1t has become apparent to most
people that Americas part in the war
is to be a very important one, perhaps
the deciding factor. Tho other COM
batants are rapidly approaching the
limit of their resources. Our country
is beginning to feel the burden, but
our man power and our wealth are still
enormous. The end Of the struggle is
not yet in sight. Therefore, we must
be prepared to meet severe demands
from our allies.
Whatever interfcres seriously with
our efficiency is a matter of vital i'm
portance to every one Of US. No one
will pretend that the use of stimulants
adds an iota to mans efficiency in
any line of service, and every one will
admit the serious drain on nervous en-
ergy resulting from such use. 1t would
seem reasonable at least, therefore, to
condemn stimulants because they in
terfere with efficiency
Eerly in the war we were astounded
by the drastic law enforced by Russia
against the use of vodka. But it
worked. The great saving il. wealth, as
we'll as the Improvement in the tone
of the Russian soldier, cannot be
effect so easily and SO quickly practi-
cal prohibition on a national scale, is
it too much to ask of England, France,
Italy and America?
Not so many years ago China took
equally drastic and effective action
against the growth of the poppy and
the sale of opium because of the un
questionable injurious effect on her
people resulting from that terrible
habit. Is it too much to ask of Eng
land, France, Italy and America that
their more enlightened people?
JAMES w. JOHNSON.
Why not make whiskey in your
kitchen at home? At cost of less
than 40 cents a gallon you can be
your own distiller, and no compli-
Gated apparatus is needed, we are
assured by Brooklyn contributor
who ventures the opinion that not a
million Federal agents could break
up the home industry that would
follow national prohibition.
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: There are scientific reasons why
national prohibition cannot possibly
promote temperance by preventing the
use of alcoholic liquors The founda-
gtion principle of prohibitory laws is
the supposition that they will protect
the very small percentage of mankind
temptation to use beverages containing
alcohol. 1t is claimed by the advocate,
of prohibition that the drink is due to
the licensed liquor traffic and that if
the manufacture and sale of liquor
were prohibited it's use would be sum-
marily stopped. This is mistake.
Long before there were any laws re-
lating to the production and sale of
alcoholic beverages men made and used
them Under national prohibition they
would continue to use them, only III.
stead of buying them from dealers they
would make them for their own use.
There is general ignorance, even
among those who speak and write on
behalf of prohibition, of the method
by which alcoholic beverages are pro-
duced. They know that to make wine
or hard cider. all that is necessary is
to squeeze the juice from apples or
grapes and leave it in warm room for
few days, when it ferments and be-
comes alcoholic. They do not know
that it is just as easy to make whiskey
as to make bread. No costly or com
plicated apparatus is needed; with a
tin pan, tea kettle and yard of rub
Der hose whiskey can be made from
sugar in every household at a cost of
| less than 40 cents a gallon.
The natural law of fermentation
that changes sugar solutions into alco.
holic compounds, cannot be set aside
by human laws. An army of 100000
Federal spies and informers could not
possibly prevent the farmers from
making hard cider, the grape growers
from drinking wine, or the production
of distilled liquor by any one desiring
it, Since 1t is physically impossible to
prevent the manufacture of alcoholic
| beverages, it must be apparent that