Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-09-24
THE PROFESSOR ON
PROHIBITION
BY Dr.. Frank Crane


I met learned professor over at the Sor-
bonnie yesterday. The Sorbonne is the great
French University. A young American stu
dent irreverently calls it the Sour Bones.
This learned professor told us why Pro-
hibition in the United States. 1t was inter-
esting. How correct | do not undertake to
estimate.
There was party of US sitting in little
restaurant over in the Latin Quarter. A
gentleman from Texas was warmly seconded
by lady from Brooklyn in condemning the
narrow Americans for Prohibition.
81 haven't met a single person in New
York that thinks Prohibition is right" said
the lady.
"Then," returned the professor, "you have
not met the right people Nor enough peo-
ple."
The professor is an American, did time in
Columbia, and was born in Ohio.
81 think" he went on, "that the greaL
majority of Americans favor Prohibition not
because they like it, but because it's the less
er of two evils.
'For Americans have to let it alone or
get drunk. They don't understand how to
sip like these Latins.
otis psychological. You see, the Anglo
Saxon, if you will pardon loose and mac
curate term, has always been a drunkard.
Taine in his book, you know, desribes the
early Saxon as enjoying only two things,
hunting Gncluding man hunting, or war;
and intoxication. Our noble English ancestors
regularly drank till they rolled unconscious
under the table and had to be carried to
bed.
'The great majority of the people of the
United States are descendants of the
people of the British Isles. And English
men, ScOtchmen, and Irishmen are all drunk
ards. They consume such alcoholic stuff as
whisky, gin, and rum.
''The Latins, including the French, Span
1sh, and Italians, do not enjoy getting drunk
as rule.
LAS I said, this has a psychological root.
For the characteristic of the Saxon blood is
Accomplishment. The characteristic of the
Latin is Enjoyment. The American, who is
the most highly developed Anglo-saxon, is
happy only in Getting Things Done.
'This has it's good side, for it makes him
great Doer, tremendously efficient. But
it has it's bad side, too. 1t makes him fond
of excess.
when he eats he bolts his food He does
not so much enjoy eating as he enjoys getting
full of food. On the contrary, the French
| man fingers at the table; he enjoys eating
more than having eaten.
| Alcohol in mild doses, to basker and
! easygoing enjoyer, is not bad thing. In
| fact, all it does is to help along the enjoy
ment
"But alcohol to a Doer, to one who
Achieves and is happy only in getting to
the end OF matters, is rank poison.
my personal opinion is that America is
done with alcohol. Also that in time Pro-
hfbition will be adopted in the British Isles.
Drunkenness and whisky guzzling will drive
them to it.
"But Prohibition among the Latins is not
necessary, and to attempt it would bring on
a revolution.'
"Still," said the Brooklyn lady, "I like a
glass of wine with my meals"
'You might have it," replied the professor,
''if you could discover any way, at the same
| tlme to prevent your brother from making
maniac of himself in saloon.'
Copyright, 1921 by Frank Crane)