The New York herald., 1920-11-07
ny A.. G. GARDINER.

ny ~. u. GAkDlNEhs
Formerly Editor Of the London Daily
Nel1s.
LONDON, Oct. 6.--Late returns show
that the dry" propaganda was Sc
verely beaten In Scotland, the only
victories for the prohibtionists being
In the country districts: but this is
only the first skirmish in n long cam
paign that promises to be the most
thrilling domestic issue in British
politics for years to come. At least
the prohibitionists have drawn the
first blood. Some villages and towns
have gone dry" and although a ma
jority seem to have voted for no
change, the handwriting on the wall
Is unmistakable.
England is watching the progress of
the struggle In the north almost r.
feverishly as she watches the progress
Of the tragedy Of Ireland. For, al
though in these matters Scotland is
an independent country. every one
knows that II the dry" movement
catches on there 1t will not stop at the
border. 1t is a prairie fire that will
go with the wind and catch wherever
the grass is dry.
That this fire should have started in
Scotland Is due to obvious causes.
Scotland is at once the most moral
and the most. drunken part of these
islands. Whiskey and the shorter
catechysm are equally strongly in
trenched there, and now that they
have come TO grips they will not give
each other quarter 1t is John Knox
against Robert Burns, and I predict
that in this battle the dour spirit of
John Knox will win ultimately.
Nation AHnmc with Issue.
There has always been a powerful
prohibition movement in Scotland, and
It is this movement which is now be-
ing extended. Each town, each viii
lage. each ward has the power to go
dry" and Scotland Is afiame with the
issue. No one who Is familiar with
the devastation drink has caused in
that country, who has seen Aberdeen
or Glasgow in their cups or who
knows the effect of the pernic1ous
glamour which the genius of Burns
be astoniShed.
The key to the situation is Glasgow
which with its neighborhood contains
half the population Of the country,
and which Is as notorious for It's slums
and its colossal drinking as It is for
its wealth and industry. It Is here
that the battle will be Tough. most
furiously. 1t is above all a woman's
battle. 1t is the women who bear the
weight of the curse, and If victory is
won 1t will be their victory.
And what Of England? Superb
cially she has no interest in the strug-
gle: She has no machinery FOR go
ing dry" The drink interests here
are so powerful politically and socially
that they have always been able 10
crush any legislative attempt to give
the people control OF the wriskey
trade. These interests hold the Tory
party In the hollow of their hands. and
have been able 10 dictate their own
terms. When they saw the red light
OF local option some years ago they
widened and deepened their grip by
floating" their industry on the public
and took It as partner and share
holder into their concern.
English License Is "Freehold."
When in despair the temperance
party sought 70 Ak time limit on the
renewal Of the annual licenses the
trade compelled the Tory Government
to convert those annual licenses into
q freehold. They checked at every turn
the advocates of reform, who next
took up the Idea Of buying out the
whiskey trade and OF national,zing the
production and sale OF drink. This
movement is stili afoot, and the Labor
party has adopted II us its official
policy in connection with the subject