New-York tribune., 1918-04-28
British War Rules On Drink
Add to Nations Efficiency
By P. w. Wilson
American correspondent Of The Lon
don Daily News; author of ''The
Christ We Forget"

-ARxY in the war Mr.. Lloyd
n, George once stated that
81 drink was deadlier enemy
for Britain than Germany, Austria
and Hungary all put together. The
King, Lord Kitchener and many
other people became abstainers, and
there arose a movement for prohi-
hilton, at any rate until the Kaiser
had been dealt with as he deserves.
It was shown that in many indus
tries, and especially shipbuilding on
the Clyde, men who were working
under high pressure took stimu-
lants, instead of food, with deplor-
able results. If these men were to
be asked to give up beer and spirits
then every one else should do the
same, and the supreme sacrifice was
proposed for the House of Commons.
The situation was precisely suited
10 what you would call drive, but
the American mind was lacking. Mr.
Asquith rather poohpoohed the af-
fair. The House of Commons still
remained "wet," though in strict
moderation. And the prairie fire
burnt itself out.
Paying for Business
Said To Be Doomed
Then Mr.. Lloyd George tried a
new plan. Let US buy up, said he,
the whole business, lock, stock and
barrel, England, Scotland and Ire
land, saloons, breweries, distilleries
and wine vaults, and thus let US re-
duce temptation. At this there was
great fuss. Financiers did not like
the idea Of creating S1,500,000,000
if3O0,000,000) of government stock,
in addition to war debt. They asked
shrewd questions about paying so
much money for business marked
out for destruction. And prohibi-
tionists did not want the state to
touch the unholy thing. They were
against nice taverns and clamored
for no taverns at ALL
Out Of all this chaos there
emerged what we call a Board of
Control for Liquor. / have received
from London the Rev. Henry Car
ter's book, which describes the
boards activities. Also, the mail has
brought me what we on the other
side call the Drink Bill for 1917.
These figures are prepared by
George B. Wilson, who happens to be
my brother. They are semi-official
and are everywhere accepted as ac-
curate.
The British drink bill has risen
thus:
1914 ................ 1922, 900, 900
lyl5 .................. 100000, 900
l9Ib. ...."...... 1,020,000,00O
1917. .............. 1895 ,OOO. .0O0
1t Looks as if
Drink Was Increasing
| simply reckon $5 to the SOW
ereign. This looks as If the United
Kingdom were SO per cent more
drunken in 1917 than she was in
1914, but this is not the fact. The
value of money has declined roughly
by one-half. The true expenditure
on drink to-day is about $6O0,O0O,-
600, not 1926, 100000 And the
number of gallons of alcohol actu-
ally consumed has been:
,o,5 ,o, ''..-.... ............... 92,00O,0OO
~ ,oi .....-.' '............... $4,000, 600
,sio ,s .......... ........... $1,000, 600
t9io t9i -.................. 10000, 900
i9i'--... $4,000, 900
This means that in five years our
drinking has gone down by one-half.
The reduction is not enough to have
achieved, but it is, perhaps, some
thing. In 1919 there were 10000
convictions for drunkenness in Eng
land and Wales. In 1916 there were
cnly $4,000. The year 1917 will
snow a further decrease. And, while
such figures for convictions do not
settle very much--so greatly are
they affected by the vigilance or
otherwise Of the police and by en-
hstments in the army-yet VIC are
beyond question more sober nation.
Ali these statistics have to be reck
oned in comparison with the high
cash wages earned throughout the
country. Good wages have usually
put up the drink bill.
As We Become Dry
We Drink More
speaking for myself, make no Sc
cres OF the fact that like the Ameri
can method of combating drink.
with US, it is fight by bureau
0'aSS' With you, the people them
@e'seS decide. Last week The Trib.
"Ae published figures which seemed
% SHOW that the United States
aiii'Ns more and more freely as she