Evening journal., 1919-01-29
VODKA WORSE Than /.
HORSE LINIMENT.
Makes Russians Fight and
Weep: Yanks Don't
Get Much
PLACES CLOSED THAT
SELL TO AMERICANS
By PEGGY HULL.
z. 4. Stan Correspondent

" l. j. Zl4A 0AAAI1kOMQEuIa
VLADIvOsToK, Jan. 2e.-I have no IL
luslon about vodka. / drank some. II
would be IS hard for me TO learn TO
like as 1t was 10 create a taste for green
olives.
My grarhfather had many horses
when ] ws a.child, and there were a
great number OF large and small bot
Ties arounl the house. Even then had
no contri over my curiosity, and,
when ! oened one once, and liked the
pungent mall, / thought I'd taste II.
The memFy Of that mistakeis with me
stlll, and vodka is worse than horse
linimenti
The Blshevist government whose
innuencS isn't very great here, has
lust proclaimed the country -'wet"
again. Il was made dry by the czar-
ist govrnment as a war measure.
can't &c the life Of me see why any
body hould ever want to drink
vodka.
The Russians drink II in little
glasse; about two thimblesfull at
time. They never stop 10 taste It. or
the sun couldn't go any farther.
have seen two kinds. One is pure
whit and Is stronger than the yellow.
in yhich peppers have been dropped.
Vooa Is made from wheat or rye. and
is fly per cent. pure alcohol.
i Is almost awe-inspiring to watch
soie OF the Russian officers drink il
Aby the half tumblerfull. and yet re-
tsa their senses and dignity. know
ills the exception, although two ex-
pinned to me one evening that 1t was
oily the peasant who got drunk and
anted to Tight. A few moments az
irwards a vodka-fllled Russian naval
Nicer tried 10 break a bottle over the
lead of General 0tani's aide-de-camp.
It is against the law TO sell vodka
or cognae. so the safe managers get
around the law by putting the liquor
in bottles labeled Lemonade" The
Aquarium IS the largest cafe, and the
oily one with a cabaret Il opens at
minight, and puts on a most pitiful
Performance. The bih is made up. for
tn most part. Of women singers
lage, porty women. who might have
ha voices one day, but must have
los them IN the long trip across Rus
si TO Siberia.
he program Is so arranged that
thy begin their weepy ballads along
ebut the time the vodka takes effect.
Noticed a big man, alone at a table
ped high with food. I'm sure he was
brn in Berlin. With that face and
I'm and appetite, he couldn't have
tEne from any other place. In the
lidst Of one heart-rending song, his
fes began 10 blink, and. as sure as
m alive. tears as big as raisins be-
an TO fall into his soup. This sur
.rlsed me so that looked around and
ound a little fizened old fellow with.
IFS arm around another derelict. cry
ng for all that was in him. and, be-
ore had time TO realize 1t, the whole
lace was blubbering.
Americans aren't permitted out af-
er ~ o'clock, so three Canadian OIL
ers volunteered to show me the place. |
there were several more numbers, in
ludlng a classical rendition Of The
ilow Worm" and "Tipperary" IN Rus
ian; but had seen enough OF ''the
lsh pond" as the Canadians called II,
nd / thought we had better go homo
Defore we nad 70 nlre DoaJ or swim
,ut. Someone had a sense Of humor
when he named the place the Aquar-
um.
Major General Graves has been for
unate in having the cooperation OF
he local authorities, and. when an oc-
,assional American soldier Is arrested
or being drunk. the place where he
got the liquor Is located and closed up.
When Russia was declared dry. the
Immediately opened dis
illeries, and vodka was manufactured
n large quantities and smuggled
lcross the border. The Russian on
,ials found it impossible to handle the
situation. particularly with the Boil
hevik trouble on hand: consequently.
no dry law is Of little use, with the
exception OF where 1t is exercised by
Major General Graves.