Weekly journal-miner., 1919-04-02
ROBSON HOLDS ALCOHOLISM
 IS DISEASE
(From Fridays Daily.)

, last night, to capacity house. Level , ling of industrial conditions through. i out the world, deemed necessary fol the safety of peace, is contingent up on the cessation of the liquor traffic everywhere, declared the speaker. The Hero of the Merrimac, now in the service of the Anti-Saloon
 League, was introduced by M. B.
 Hazeltine.
 . Captain Hobson spoke in part as follows:
 The war has shaken the earth to it's foundations. Old systems have
 toppled to their fall For more than
 a generation the human race will have Ithe gigantic task of reconstructing its institutions. It is estimated that
 more than 20,0O0,000 human beings
 have perished as a result of the war.
 No other species whether in the plant
 Kingdom or the animal kingdom un.
 dertakes systematically to kill itself.
 Manifestly the human race Is sick,
 out of harmony with its environ
 ment and the laws of nature, suffer
 ing from degeneracy from alcohol,
 the specific for degencracy There fore, the first step in a scientific pro.
 grom of reconstruction is to remove the cause of humanity's disease.
 Not till after the destructive, harm Iful agencies in the body polite and ibody social have been removed, can
 we successfully put in operation the
 forces of development and uplift.
 Studying the war problems pro- duced a wide educational effect. IL came as surprise to Americans to
 learn that the liquor traffic destroys
 in our midst the equivalent of moro than 100000 loavcs of bread a day, enough bread to supply one half the
 families of the nation.
 The problem of feeding the world
 by increased production and better conservation revolves in both features around the liquor traffic. It will De a surprise to America to know thar every year the liquor traffic has en- tailed an economic burden upon the nation more than the equivalent Of the cost of financing the war. The solution of the worlds financial prob. lems revolves about the liquor traf- fic. This habit forming drug appeals to the universal motives both of ella, | ton and of oblivion and with ready facilities for manufacture, opens ur an ineXnaustible field for financial ' exploitation. So, its menace is uni versal, ever present.
 Degeneracy cannot support the in. stitutions of civilization. It is vain to hope for universal democracy in a degenerate world. It is vain to hope for enduring peace while the world lis brutalized by drink. It is vain to hope for brotherly-co-operation be- tween the nations and for the won derful civilization that would follow unless the world becomes sober.
 Humanity assembled now at the peace conference must demand that Ia paragraph be put into the peace covenant establishing the principle that hence forward men shall not use the channels of commerce to exploit their fellow-men through barter ill destructive commodities like opium and beverage alcohol. The peace treaty itself should provide for the immediate application of this princi- pie by proclaiming prohibition for the continent of Africa, the continent 'of Asia, and for all native tribes and all people not self-governing. America is now the most potent ial actor in the worlds councils hay ing earned the confidence of all na~ tions. We have adopted a definite policy of national prohibition as part of our organic law. Therefore it naturally devolves upon America to take the leadership in making pro- hibition worldwide.
 The liquor traffic now commands . the agencies of modern industry in . production and distribution and fl left unhindered, in few decades would debauch Africa and Asia. The effort of the churches will come too late unless the hand of civilization promptly stays the march of the liquor traffic.
 The Anti-Saloon League of Ameri ca was founded on the principle that the liquor traffic is deadly foe of all humanity, and that all moral and forces of humanity should unite to destroy this common foe. i7 D.
 1t is logical that this great organi. zation, so successful in America should now turn its activities into the world. II has held a convention with delegates from every part ot the world and is already sending men and money 10 other lands. l am here in its name to appeal to all good men and women to join in this last great drive 10 bring about d sober world.