The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-08
The Return of ''The Sow That Was Washed
to Her Wallowing In the Mire"

in it's issue of Monday, December 81.
Its real position is that of the Hearst
newspa pers including the Washing
ton Times, which are demanding that
the country be put upon beer and
wine basis The brewers and wine
makers OF this country declared that
they would defeat the food bill, re-
gardless OF It's effect upon the country,
unless the prohibition of the manu-
facture of beer and wine was stricken
from the bill congress by an over
wheln1ing majority inserted provt-
sion in the army bill forbidding the
sale Of all intoxicants, including beer
and wine, to the soldiers in uniform,
and In few months that provision
was made to apply to the navy also
That In the law of this country, and
the government is behind It, AS many
cantonments as possible have been
located in dry territory. and the
government is anxious that the law
be strictly enforced in wet" territory
Why does the government desire its
enforcement Because 1t is admitted
that teh law has greatly promoted
Petersburg and of Norfolk have fire.
duentlv stated to the writer that con-
ditions would be unbearable In those
cities II the saloons were there to-
day.
Note beer and wine are not exempt
cd by the law of congress, and they
are not exempted in the prohibition
law OF any state. .
But the Times Dispatch de-
clares;
Not content with what they
have complished in the United
States, the absolute prohibition
lists are demanding that their dry
control be extended to cover
American soldiers In France,
They dictatorily propose that
steps he taken to deprive Perish
fngs men 10 the light wines and
beers which were left to them
when the use of stronger liquors
was very properly forbidden. I'm
willing to trust the judgment OF
the commanding general who Ii
responsible to the American peo-
pie for the welfare of the armies
committed to his care they would
impose conditions measured only
by their own peace standards 1t
will be we'll II they keep their
hands of the nations armed
forces and leave the physical and
moral management TO the mill
tary leaders. Victory does not lie
along the pain VI kiLeK CT 0ANSs
prohtbition!sts are not so illogical as
to think that the army law should for
bid the sale of beer and wine to SOL
diers In this country, In order to pro-
mote good order and efficiency, and yet
In France the use OF beer and light
wines should be permitted. The army
law passed by congress expressed the
sentiment Of the nation and the spien-
did results in the environments have
justified the law. Congress did not
trust the matter TO the generals of
the army In America, and the change
In the location Of the army from
America o France does not change the
purpose in the army bill. nor does 1t
change the effect of beer and wine
The reports OF drunkenness among the
English and Canadian troops are
very distressing to every right-mfnd~
ed person. General Pershing has or
dered an American soldier to be shot
for outrageous conduct under the In
fuence Of liquor. The prohihitiontsts
desire the same good order and eff
f1ciency among our troops in France
that we have here.
The truth underlying the opposition
Of the Times Dispatch to the rati1ca-
tlon of the constitutional amendment
and to the enforcement of the pro-
vision Of the army bin in France Is
that the Times Dispatch Is atm wet
and therefore has no zeal for prohibit
ton In this country or In France.
virginia should be the drst state to
ratify tho amendment