New-York tribune., 1918-04-30
Brewers Secretary Fears for Unity
OF Nation if America Goes Drv

opinion that the people don't want pro-
isibit'on to the extent of being willing
10 pay for it'll However, this is. after
all, matter of justice, which affects
only small percentage of the populn-
t'on, who will soon die and be for
gotten.
What will it mean to the individual
ADULTS OF the nation? Can they make
.nelr own drinks? Apparently they
sanno', me original amendment pro-
posed by Mr.. Hobson, prohibited the
"~mianufacture for sale" but in the
sheppard amendment, which is now be-
aore the state legislatures, tho words
ior sale" are omitted. The precise
meaning OF manufacture" Is "any-
ln'ng made for use from raw or pre-
pared articles" Lawyers hold that the
amendment in its present form will
make 1t 4 crime for a farmer to make
claer Tor his own use, and homemade
wines vine, viii be forbidden We should
SUN De able to turn sugar into alcohol
INSIDE our bodies, for the claw Of the
land" cannot arrest the process of d.
gesuon, but the use of the fruits of
'he heid Tor intoXication will be the
exclusive privilege of humble bees and
wasps. "''"
10 most men the police problem of
enforcing national prohibition is a
tremendous one, but the prohibition
lsts say that this will settle itself
when once the lawful traffic ceases. The
Prohioltlonists argue that they are
Ieglslatlng Tor posterity. and that the
next generation will grow up without
the taste for alcohol
The theory is plausible. but will it
work? The history of mankind shows
that this "taste" or craving has per-
sisted for 500 centuries and that
every nation and almost every tribe
mas mad some form of native alcoholic
orlnk. 1t Is also true that in certain
oriental countries which are the most
nearly alcohol-free of any countries
IN the world, the drug habit has be-
come a national vice. Scientific opn-
ION may differ as to the relation, but
the increase Of the drug evil in our
southern prohibition states has al
ready become notorious.
The Hobson school of physiological
prohlbitionists maintain that alcohol
is "hablt-forming drug" ars. on this
principle Nh Hobson's ca.ginal bill
would have prohibited al "alcoholic"
beverages The Sheppard amendment,
which is now before US makes the sig
niticant change from "alcoholic" to
Intoxicating" beverages. Possiblv
this may have been due to the rec ut
discovery that practically all he
soft" drinks, excepting mineral wit
ers, contain fractional amount of
alcohol. Some of the grape juices
have developed as much as 10 per
cent of alcohol after leaving the fac
tory. There seems to be no way of
escaping it, for even our bread is al
coholic. Perhaps, though. it makes
difference whether you eat it or drink
it? However, the present prohibition
amendment raises the question-what
is an Intoxicating beverage" and by
whom shall it be decided? Shall Con-
gress, or the Supreme Court deter
mine it? Or will it be left for each
state to set its own standard?
Canada has recently prohibited the
manufacture or sale of any beverage
containing over 2a per cent. In the
state of Maine it has been tacitly
agreed for years that per cent should
be the maximum figure.
Scandinavian countries, which tax
beverages according to the amount of