The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-06-18

army by the Selective Draft law. Af-
ter all proper allowance is made for
1.-THE ignorance and carelessness OF the
average young man, the proportion
of those infected was so great that it
stands as terrible indictment against
the fathers and mothers, editors,
teachers and pastors for their failure
to give proper warning and instruction
10 the young lives committed rs a
sacred trust to their care. There
must be, there will be, as one great
result of the war a greater sense Of
responsibility for the eradication Of
sexual immortality and venereal dis
ease. and the criminal silence under
the cloak of modesty. which has re-
suited in the slaughter of the inno-
cents, will give way to intelligent.
helpful instruction concerning the
most fundamental facts of life. There
are some parents who have met this
responsibility wisely and effectively.
but unfortunately there are multitudes
who have not
intcmpcrance
lntemperance and prostitution are
twin sisters. They usually go hand in
hand. Whatever affects one will inevi-
taoly affect the other. and, therefore.
1t IL impossible to study one with
out sooner or later studying the other.
ne hpDtliltS are eACiltu ny
lntoxicants. the prostitute stimulates
herself with the bottle. and practi-
cally every house of prostitution il a
blind tiger where liquor is sold at
exor bitant rates. While some men
may visit immoral houses without
drinking, the great majority drink
with the women, not simply beer and
light wines, but stronger and more
stimulating liquors. 1t is evidently i'm
possible to make any@accurate report
upon the amount of drinking by SOL
diers and sailors in the privacy of
houses OF prostitution. but it is mob
able that a large number of the cases
OF drunkenness originated in such
houses. and the army officers are so
accustomed to this combination that
whenever a man returns to camp in
toxicated, he is at once given a pro-
phYiactiC treatment as a safeguard
against probable infection.
This drinking in houses is in pri-
vate and the amount Of ii will depend
largely upon the effectiveness of the
appeal against sexual immortality. and
the severity OF the punishment intlict-
ed for drunkenness.
While it is impossible to know the
amount of drinking in private. some
things can be stated with certainty
concerning public drinking. Personal
observations in hotels restaurants
and eating clubs in every city visited
both In the port towns, in London
in Paris and in the cities OF the in
terror, or back from the fighting zone.
showed wine bottles and glasses Al
the plates of very large number
of American soldiers ana sailors pa
tronlzing these places, both of OH
GERS and of men; in the cafes and
wine shops, and at the tables in front
of the cafes many of them were seen
drinking. Notwithstanding order No.
-. splrhuous liquors, especially bran
dy, We're frequently called for and
served either openly or In coffee cups
ne amount of drinking in violation of
order No. II, and of drinking to ex-
cess is greatest in port towns like
Brest St Nazaire, Bordeaux and t4iv-
erpool, where our troops disem bark
and go into camp until distributed TO
other points, and here, as Gen. Scott
indicates, conditions are sometimes
bad. London and Paris are also dan
ger spots. Conditions ave much better
at the camps in the interior and in the
smaller cities, where the military po-
lice can exercise "a reasona BILE amount
of genuine superN ision, and vastly bet
ter at the camps in the interior. but.
as indicated above, even In these
places, outside the fighting zone. there
Is much wine drinking and consider
able drinking in violation OF order
No. ~, and some drinking to excess
These personal observations were
confirmed by conversations with i'm
partial, reliable men with abundant
opportunities to obtain accurate infor-
nation.
General order No. IT. prohibiting
the use OF all intoXieants except light
wines and beer, while it has dimin-
ished the amount of drunk ennesS.
mas not fully met the needs of the
present situation. and is in effect a
distinct lowering of the standard set
by the law of Congress, prob biting
the sale of all kinds of Intoxicating
liquors TO American soldiers and sail
ors in the United States.
The order apparently proceeds upon
the assumption that light wines and
beer are not Intoxicating except in
extraordinary quantities, and there .
tore, their use can be permitted with
comparatively little risk But this
position has already been carefully
considered by the American people (
and has been deliberately and EN- /
phaticaily rejected. Experience has
demonstrated in the United States that
a prohibition law which exempts even
4 per cent beer is exceedingly weak. (
dangerously defective. and certain to
result in much drunkenness and its
accompanying evils. Prohibition leg
lsiation, both State and National. now
prohibits all forms of intoxicants. in
beer and light wine, and a
proposition from any source, no mat /
ter how respectable and influent ial /
to pass law exempting beer and light !
wines. containing as high as IL per
cent of alcohol. as is contained in 1
those permitted in general order
No. II would be rejected without |
any further debate. not only by the .
leaders. but by the rank and file of
the prohibition voters of the United /
States
Moreover, experience has further (
demonstrated Enthusiastically in the .
United Estates that the exemption of |
any form Of intoxicants in a Prohibit /
ion law furnishes loophoe for the !
sale and use of all kinds of intoxi- ,
2ants. and that it results in continual
violations of the law, which are gem
orally difficult to be legally proven.
10 matter how certain officials may be
hat the law has been violated
General order No. II, therefore, has
been followed by some results which
must be very carefully considered.
While not intended in that way it has
oeen regarded as a quasi, almost semi
'fnclal endorsement of French drink
ng customs by the military authori-
les, and has been accepted as a Ii