New Britain herald., 1918-06-06
BONE-DRY MEASURE
PLACED ON SHELF
Hoover Objects to Forcing Public
to Drink Only WhiSkey

Of President wilson ana FOod AL
ministrator Hoover. They came out
singly against the Randall amend
ment to the Emergency Food bill,
and, as a result, Senator Sheppard
of Texas, said late yesterday the
amendment would be stricken from
the bill by the senate.
The Randall amendment, adopted
in the house against the presidents
Wishes provided that S6,00O,00O Of
the money appropriated by the meas
ure should not be expended unless
the president had first issued a proc
lamation prohibiting the use of fruits
or cereals during the war in the man
ufacture Of beer or light wines This
would have ended the manufacture
in the United States of any alcoholic
beverage. 1t would not have made
the country bone dry" Immediately,
because there are 10000 gallons of
whiskey in stock, as well as large
supplies of beer and wines, according
to Mr.. Hoover.
"But Mr.. Hoover stated that if this
amendment were adopted, it would
set the whole country to drinking
whislkey exclusively as an alcoholic
leverage in q short time,' said Sem
ator Sheppard, "inasmuch as the sup
plies of beer and light wines are
comparatively much smaller than the
whiskey supply. This in itself was
sufficient reason, in Mr.. Hoovers
Judgment for the defeat Of the
amendment, but he added that it
was totally unnecessary as a conser-
walton measure and would work a
needless hardship on a large number
of business men in certain parts of
the country, and would therefore do
mere harm than good
The administrations strong stand
against the amendment is expected
to cause the house to recede from its
insistence upon it.
Hoover Explains Attitude.
Following a conference with Presi-
dent Wilson, Mr.. Hoover made public
a statement in which he opposed the
Randall amendment. In a letter TO
Senator Sheppard leader of the pro-
hibition faction in the senate, he re-
ferred to an exchange of communica-
tons between the president and the
senator, and indicated that the presi-
dent held the same views as himself.
In his statement, Mr.. Hoover says:
LAS to the discussion of the sup
precision of brewing, [ wish to say en-
phatically that from a strictly food
conservation point of view. / should
like to see the use of foodstuffs sup
pressed in all drinks, hard and soft.
This is not, however, the whole story.
We stopped distilling Il year ago.
There is a long supply Of whiskey,
gin and other 20 per cent. to 40 per
cent. distilled drinks in the country.
We have reduced the consumption Of
foodstuffs in brewing by so per cent.
tIo oln1 of
beer to "a per cent.
IF we stop brewing the saloons of
the country will still be open, but con-
fined practically to a whiskey and gin
basis. Any true advocate of temper
ance and of national efficiency in these
times will shrink from this situation,
for the national danger in it is greater
than the use of some 100000 bushels
Of grain monthly in the breWeries. If
the merican people want prohibition
it should prohibit by legislation to
that end and not force the Food ad-
ministration to the responsibility for
an orgy of drunkenness. 1t is mighty
difficult to get drunk on "a per cent.
beer; it will be easy enough if we
force a substitution of distilled drinks
for it.
THE Food administration has gone
without precipitating a worse situa-
ton. If the American people or con-
gress will stop the sale of distilled
liquors, the administration will find no
difficulty in stopping brewing
Letter to Senator Sheppard.
Writing to Senator Sheppard, Mr..
Hoover says:
1.-The wines produced in this country
nf w nj c17 al
proportion are available as table or
raisin grapes, and, therefore, the
stoppage of wine making would add no
CONSEQUENTIAL amount of food to our
national supplies. The conversion Of
vineyards to other production would
not be likely so long a S there is pros
pect of resumption of wine making at
a later date. The conversion of these
grapes to grape juice instead of wine,
as suggested, would add nothing TO our
national food supplies.
with regard to brewing, the alco-
holic content of beer was reduced to
= "a per cent, and the amount Of
grain and other foodstuffs that could
be used has been limited to 10 per
cent. of that used during the CORES
ponding period of the previous year,
the effect being to stop any expansion
of brewing and to reduce the food
stuffs consumed by 80 per cent. The
actual amount of grain being used in
the brewing of beers is at the present
time approximately $500, 900 bushels
per month of which Approximately 30
per cent is recovered as cattle feed
and the loss, therefore, into the beer
is practically the. equivalent of $780,
| 600 bushels per month, the grains
| used being barley, corn and broken
rice.
There is of course, great deal Of
! contention that the beer itself con-
| tains the remaining food values. But,