The New York herald., 1921-08-07
JOHNSON IS WARNED
OF DANGERS OF NEW
india DRY CRUSADE
One-Eyed Prohibitionist Is
Tipped by Expert to Con-
ditiOns in TOrrid Land.
EVEN PIANOS GET LIQUOR
wild Mem Ready to Resent
Interference With Popular
Pastime Of Drinking.

speetat Cable 70 THE NEW York HERALD.
Copyright 1921, BY THE NEW YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
London, Aug. 6.
William h. Johnson, the prohibition
advocate whose efforts to reform Eng
land cost him an eye, has gone on a
lecture tour to India forewarned
what terribly sinister meaning" his
doctrine has for wild men" Of the
East When the India expert of the
London Daily NeUs heard that Mr..
Johnson was leaving he rushed after
him to get an interview. but it de-
veloped that Mr.. Johnson interviewed
him and got something in the nature
of unusual news.
TITS not case Of butting in" said
Mr.. Johnson, all smiles as usual. Il
am just going TO tell what we did in
America"
Mr.. Johnson had nothing to say ex-
cept that he was going TO India at the
invitation OF a British organization, and
that the Anglo-Indian Temperance AS
sociation, which arranged the tour, has
advised its secretaries to organize meet
ings for him.
The man who knows India by actual
experience said that it seemed as II n
merciful Providence had sent him to
Mr.. Johnson In the nick OF time He
fervently urged Mr.. Johnson not to go.
wild Men Await johnson.
There are many wild men in India"
he told the prohibitionist wild men
with trimmings, and they'll hang some
OF you IL you are not careful. These
men might have been tame when tfe-
We're home, but they've been there 100
long now. There are such things as
bank clerks and commercial assistants
living five and six together. seeing only
each other and catering for themselves
II guest happened to come and asked
for a drink and they didn't have fl.
they'd drop dead from aggravated NOR
tiication, and the fellows would never
smile again. unaided.
In Calcutta the young bloods stand
empty bottles on the blades OF the cell
ing fans and start the current Just for
something TO change the monotony. At
a certain hour in the evening they give
the piano bottle OF whiskey for itself
The club bars serve roasted nuts chip
potatoes and sardines. Just so nobody
can complain when the sun goes down
that they cannot raise a thirst
IF the country should be dry the hon
orable khitmagars tstewards1 would
perish for lack of relaxation, because
now any khitmagar caught standing
stlll for more than thirty seconds ia con-
sldered hopelessly incompetent. Those
khitmagars could never count the num-
Der OF burra pegs double whiskeysl
served OF an evening. because they serve
too fast for mental arithmetic.
Might Signal for "A Drink.
Suppose you. Mr.. johnson. were
sitting in an office where everything
you laid your hands on was hot despite
the fans, and there wasn't a breath Of
air and when il was too hot even to
speak. wouldn't YOU signal for a drinke''
Mr.. Johnson continued packing chuck
ling. and with a chuckle told about
American soft drinks, putting fear into
the eyes Of the man who had been in
India as he recounted the possible liver
troubles resulting from use OF alcoholic
drinks But his interviewer persisted
'Whiskey IS regarded as the greatest
safeguard against malaria known to the
medical profession he said. when A
mosquito bit a comfortable man In India
the mosquito went home in a dlsgracetul
state, put his shoes under the mat. fell
upstairs, beat his wife and died the next
morning from alcoholic poisoning"
I'VE have no objection to the use Of
alcohol as medicine" answered the pro-
hibitlonist
We'll that's different" said the inter-
viewer Perhaps you'll survive. When
you call alcohol medicine you wont be
disagreed with in India
Mr.. johnson locked the trunk, still
with the greatest good nature We'll.
I'll be back IN December he said, and
I hope TO find England then dry anyway.
for everybody IS learning slowly and
surely. and little missionary work even
in wild India might lead TO ultimate
conversion