Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-12-29

NEW YORK CITY, Dec. 27-The
difficulty in enforcing prohibition. as
Illustrated by the efforts of dry
agents in this country, has not prov
cd as dis~couraging to the rest of
the world as might be expected.
The world prohibition movement has
suffered no serious setback. On the
contrary, it appears to be prospecting
nierrily. Most South American coun-
tries are resigning themselves to the
prospect of an approaching drought
tho Orient is listening attentively. II
inscrutably, to dry propaganda, and
France is waging a discreet but et-
teotive fight gainst hard liquors.
There is to be nothing sudden
about prohibition in France. No at
tempt is being made to curtail the
consumption of light wines and beer,
the national table beverages, but the
campaign is directed entirely against
the powerful hard liquors-eau de
vie, cognacs and brandies. Even
these, however, are to be eliminated
quietly and gently, not abruptly be-
fore the population is wholly prepar-
ed for the catastrophe.
"It I may be permitted to say so,
the prohibition system in America is
stupid" declared Jean Finot. noted
French author and leader of the
~anti-alcohol forces in France, to an
American newspaperman not long
ago. You can't wash all the spots
off the leopard in a single bath. Al
ter generations of alcohol o cannot
change nature so abruptly as Ameri-
can prohibitionists have tried to do
II is not possible from the psy-
Geological point of view. There is
n.omentay triumph, but what about
the reaction.
In France. according to NJ. Finot,
1.-The prohibition pageant is being stag
so much more skillfully. In the first
| place, it begins in the school room
Where the French children are sup
iplied with a small booklet faithfully
setting forth the horrible consequent
ces of imbibing strong drink. On the
\ cover is the cartoon of O German
soldier leering from behind a bot
tie of deadly liquor, against a back
ground of skulls and c~rossbones. and
beneath it is the caption: That
which we were unable to do alcohol
will do"
zone may count in France the
number of deaths from tuberculosis
o~ccasioned by alcohol at 100000 q
year" says the booklet. I'm this fig
IRE are found at least $4,000 fathers
CT families. Counting two infants
in each home, there are thus 1000
orphans in France who each year pay
their sad tribute to the miseries and
sufferings OF King Alcohol, so impla-
cable in his cruelty.
Even children know hat hun
dreds of thousands of people die an
nually from alcoholic drinking. La
borers work much less efficiently and
produce less under its influence. The
bad poison also works for all sorts
Of crimes. 1t provokes misery and
unhappiness without a name. Par
ents who drink.do not cease to quar-
rel among themselves, and even fire.
quently strike their children with
out reason. In the place of receiving
a morsel of bread or meat, one re-
cciv,s blows and kicks and bad
words"
Thus, down with our great en-
envy, alcohol" the booklet concludes.
Combat him with energy and hero
ism in order to prove that you are
good citizens of France"
French Tax Hard Liquor
While placing great stress on this
educational phase of the campaign
France does not hesitate to use
r;ore forceful measures. In a quiet
ard discreet way, in fact. the Frencl
Chamber and Senate r gradual,
taxing strong liquors out Of exist
ence. At the same time, taxes OF
light wines and beer have been stead
lily lowered.
In South American countries
where the prohibition campaigns ar
lagely under direction or our owl
erstwhile prohibition generals, les
subtlety and more force are in evt
deuce. In Chile. for instance, tn
President has sent an announcement
to grape growers they must plai
for some other use for their grape
than the manufacture of alcoholi'
wine. Uruguay we are told. is serv
ing grape juice and similar bever
ages instead of wine and champaign
at it's official banquets, while the gov
eminent now regularly sets aside al
annual sum for the publication o
temperance literature.
I'm Argentine" says an American
lwno has Just returned from that coul
try. scientific temperance lecture
are given in the public schools. an
the Scientific Manual of the w. G
T. u. has been reprinted in the Off
lciaI educational magazines and sen