The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1919-07-24
BY EDWARD w. PlcKARD.


The United States has launched the
great experiment. Just after the
treaty was signed that nominally
brought the war to an end, our war
time emergency prohibition act went
into effect and the entire country be-
came officially ''bone dry" Presuma-
bly, rehabilitation will be completed
within two months or SO, and there
will be wet spell" at least In some
states until the constitutional amend
ment goes into effect on January 16.
At present there is considerable con-
fusion concerning the scope and the
enforcement of the emergency law. A
federal court has ruled in favor Of
beer and wine containing not to ex-
coed az per cent of alcohol and in
many localities the dealers are taking
chance and dispensing those drinks.
In most states the old and new laws
on prohibition prevent even this. IN
any case the manufacture and sale of
all drinks with the greater alcoholic
coatent are barred and Attorney Gen
eral Palmer has ordered rigid enforce
ment Of the law relating to them.
The "wets'' have been making q
game but losing fight, and the "drys'
have refused to yield at any point.
The forces of the latter in congress
are planning to pass measures to pre-
vent the country from going on a
whisky-drinking basis between the
time of rehabilitation and January 16,
and to put.a stop to the sale of weak
beer and light wines at once, regard
less of court rulings.
Though the United States is now the
only dry" country, there may be an
other before very long, for the United
Kingdom alliance, encouraged by the
success Of the American prohibitionists,
has opened a campaign to put Great
Britain on the same basis. American
methods will be followed and Ameri-
can speakers imported. London corre-
spondents predict that to deprive the
Britisher Of his ale, porter and beer
would almost precipitate revolution.
British labor is against prohibition,
but so is American labor; and it may
be that John Bull will in the not dis
tant future be reduced to drinking
sIemon squashes' and minerals The
world will watch the American expert
ment, one Of the greatest ever made
In economics, with intense interest.
His great task abroad completed so
far as might be. President Wilson has
returned to his domestic duties. On
the homeward trip he signed bills and
read documents and otherwise pre-
pared himself for the contest that con-
fronts him In the United States. The
goal he has set for himself Is the rati-
fication by the senate OF the peace
treaty, including the covenant OF the
League Of Nations. Victory will not
come easily, though it probably will
come, maybe after the covenant has
been amended to meet the objections
now made by considerable number
Of senator's. Those who are against
the league in any form are very few,
but stubborn. If Mr.. Wilson is equal
~ stubborn, the whole matter is likely
to become partisan issue despite the
efforts Of many party leaders to pre-
vent this. 1t is intimated that, if the
senate nakes evident its intention to
refuse to ratify, the president will
withhold the treaty for the time being,
and that would at once make 1t an out
and-out party question. There is pre-
cedent for such course.
If the issue is put up to the people