The daily banner., 1919-07-17
War Prohibition Operative

!
fully operative midnight June 80.
The section pertaining to the manu-
facture of beer has been in force
since May 1. Our entire country is
now legally bone dry, all manufac-
/ ture and traffic in intoxicants being
under the ban, liquor expectation
alone being permitted.
That the country is not in fact
bone dry reflects no discredit upon
| Prohibition. The brewers in some
sections by legal technicalities have
succeeded in continuing the manu-
| facture of beer and it is likely that
saloonists in some places will be able
| to continue the sale of this beer by
the same process. This defiance OF
federal law only emphasizes the in
herent lawless character of the brew
ers and their agents, the saloonlsts.
They are violating this law at their
own risk, and have been duly warn
ed by theg Attorney General of the
United States. They are taking the
gamblers chance, with the chances
all against them.
The chief point of controversy is
what constitutes intoxicating beer.
A New York United States district
court has held that the war act pro-
hibits intoxicating liquor only. The
brewers contend that beer containing
less than 2.75 per cent. alcohol by
weight is not Intoxicating and that
therefore this beer is permissible
under the war act. A number OF
State Legislatures have enacted law
enforcement measures definitely de-
fining intoxicating liquor to be liq-
uor containing more than one-half
of one per cent. alcohol by weight.
In such States the State authorities
are proceeding against those who at
tempt to make and sell liquor of
stronger alcoholic content.
How long the dry law Will be OPP
erative, of course, is problematical.
According to the terms of the act it
is to remain in force until the con-
clusion of war and until the period
of demobiliZation is proclaimed by
the President. The numer of troops
overseas is variously estimated. Re-
liable statistics indicate that at least
one-third of the war force is still
under arms. Some dry leaders are
inclined to believe that complete de-
mobilization of the selectiye draft
men will not be accomplished before
the first of October.
1t is probable that the country will
be again on license basis for few
months. Whether breweries will re-
sumo operations for so short a per-
iod or not is not known. If they do
not, it will mean that liquor sales
will be confined almost exclusively
to spirituous liquors, as there will
be no beer in storage. Representa-
tive Randall, of California. accord
ingly is calling upon Congress to
enact legislation prohibiting the re-
moval of whisky from bond in order
to prevent the country going on a
whisky basis, which condition has
been so much feared by the foes OF
Prohibition in days gone by.
The most remarkable aspect of
the whole situation is the matter-of-
| fact way in which the country enter
ed upon this new policy. The last
night of license in the big wet cities
was not marked by any unusual dis
order Or extreme demonstration. The
average American citizen is a true
sportsman. He accepts the verdict
of the majority peaceably, despite
the brewers efforts to arouse him to
revolt.
But, after all, the country at large
did not have to undergo any great
change. Thirty-two of the forty
eight States were dry by the vote of
their own electors, thirty-one of the
thirty-two being saloonless when
the war act went into effect. Large
areas of the remaining sixteen wet
States were dry, so that aside from
the larger cities in these States July
/ was no different from June 1, so
far as open saloons are concerned.
Nevertheless, July 1 will be recor-
ded as a day-of great Importance in
history, the e.tss' when the first ma
ton of the first class boarded the
water wagon.-Am ericna Issue.