New-York tribune., 1919-04-24
Depeau, at IS, Claims TO Be
Worlds Oldest Young Max,
Closes Desk With Snap and Gives Reporter In
terview i'm Which He Excoriates Prohibitions
SCOTS at Bolshevism and Predicts Prosperity

|, week. VI course, tnere were some
weeks when AS Senator and associate
of most of the nations statesmen he
attended four, five, and even six ban
quets, usually as the headlincr among
the speakers.
1926 Champagne Banquets
But the average of one week dur
ing that period foots up the evening.
And at all of these, according to the
confessions of Mr.. Depew, champagne
furnished very cheering addition.
But don't get the idea that l am
a great drinker," cautioned Mr.. De-
pew. 81 am only admitting that a
banquet in prohibition territory is a
deadly dull affair. Why, I just talked
at one the other day in a dry district.
In iscussing the affair with a prohbi-
tion leader I called his attention to
the dullness of such dinners. The
leycorn admitted that such was the
case and said that it always would be
so. His only suggestion as to a remedy
was that we pass law prohiting the
holding of banquets, since we have
come to associate alcohol with a good
time to such an extent that it is i'm
possible to divorce the ideas
"However, | will say that prohbi-
tion is here and it has come to stay.
Those who think that something will
happen to take it away again do not
realize the infexibility of our consti-
tuition. 1t takes thirty-six states to
amend the constitution and it takes
an equal number to undo what they
have done. We never will have that
many states that will take such action.
Prohibition Aids Bolshevism
~ can only say that national pro-
hbition goes too far. | know it is a
law and | accept it.. But / think that
some substitute, the working man is
going to feel that his personal lib
critics are being too greatly abridged.
II do not think that Bolshevism is
coming here. There are too many men
who own their own homes, own their
little businesses, or hope that their
sons will become great property own
ers--evcn President Of the United
States-some day. But n revolution
airy feeling would be bred unless some
substitute is found for what has been
the community gathering place for the
working man in days gone by.
II am an optimist in every sense
Of the word How could a man look
at such successes as those Of Henry
Ford, Woolworth, and scores Of other
business men, without being hopeful
for the poor man. or course, such
men as Ford and Woolworth, who had
a genius for achievement, are few and
far between But they had no greater
opportunities than all the other men
in the country.
"Hard knocks. don't hurt anybody.
have been absolutely broke twice
since / grew up and | didn't feel any
the worse for it. My mother, who
was a staunch Calvinist, told me, the
second time was broke, that it was
for my own good and that | should
not complain. didn't complain and |
have since found that both hard knocks
were for my good.
Great Prosperity Ahead
"Now here is a thought that want
to give to The Tribune that we may
be losing sight of while we are so
busily engaged in the important task
of welcoming our boys back.
Great Britain and France have tre-
mendous war debts, but they are going
to pay them. There is no question
about that. Germany will pay up and
come out all right, too. But the
United States, in spite of its big war
debt, has not yet scratched the sur
face of its great reserve wealth. Now,
when the great work of rebuilding,
reorganizing and revictualing the
peace, the United States is sure to go
into the greatest period of prosperity
it ever has known And in so doing
it has an opportunity not only to help
itself but every other nation of the
entire world "