Great Falls tribune., 1921-02-27
The Haskir1 Letter
Bc FREDERIC :
hASNN
PROHIBITIONS FIRST BIRTHDAY.

from which they emerge pathetically
weakened and unfit for work. For
wood alcohol does not always kill OF
blind it's victim, but it never fails to
have a dangerous effect upon the
brain.
In addition to the hospitals, the pris-
ons are also showing a tremendous in
crease In population after short per-
iod in the early part Of 1920 when the
commitment rate noticeably declined.
Whether the present state of unen-
forced prohibition is or is not respon-
| sible for this seems to be q disputable
question. The Ants are inclined to
blame the entire crime wave on the
18th Amendment, while the Pros in
! sist that the two are wholly unrelated.
In support of this, contention, they
call attention to the fact that simi-
lar crime wave is splashing over Eu-
rope where no effort has been made to
restrict the free flow Of liquor.
ProhlbItionIsts Optimistic.
+ New York prohibitionists, moreover,
refuse to admit that prohibition has so
far proved unsuccessful in New York.
They point out that liquors of all sorts
and descriptions valued at $2,75O,OOO
have been seized by the authorities and
stored in impregnable warehouses; that
hundreds Of persons have been arrested
for violations of the Volstead act,
which has proved an efficacious warn
ing to other wouldbe violators, and
that the restrictions on the withdrawal
OF liquor are ever becoming more rig
ID. All OF these things must, in time,
they assert, have their effect.
AH these reports about New York
ated, declared one such optimistic
Pro the other night, as he went to dine
with an Anti "Of course, it is only
to be supposed that some people would
attempt to break the law-especially
those of the underworld-b they are
being successfully combatted. Saloons
have gone and the distribution of liquor
has been practically stopped, except
at prohibitive prices
AS the Pro hurled this opinion force
fully at his companion, the two debat-
ers turned into dimly-lighted East
Houston Street, where there are GER
tain famous cafes. On the pavement
before the dingy, picturesque doors of
the two OF these strode a tall, watch
full policeman.
There, you see," said the Pro, "the
police are everywhere ON the job. Con-
ditions are better than you think"
Yes. so l see," said the Anti COM
placently. "and now let's 60 in and
have drink. The same policeman was
here the other night. and we had a large
coffee pot full of Chianti and really
delightful cordial"
1t must not be supposed from the
that the United States reve-
nue. officers who are patrolling New |
York are not at all vigilant in enforc-
ing the law; it is simply that the task |
is altogether too much for them As |
soon as they put an end to the liquor
traffic in one place, it breaks out in |
another. In spite Of the fact that 25 |
revenue agents constantly patrol the |
st. Lawrence river, bootlegging con-
tinues practically unchecked in that |
boat, by train and by auto
mobile. One boouegger. who was
caught and arrested the other day. ad-
nitted that he could get as much liauor
as he wanted across the Canadian !
border.
Yet in spite of all this mass of fail
are piled up by the Volstead law, pro-
,ibitionists. on the whole. refuse to
De discouraged The United States
nay never be fully dry" they say, but
prohibition will never be rejected.
While it may not be successful in this
or even in the next, it will
eventually, is their claim.
Sentiment throughout the country
8 continually growing stronger for pro-
libition.'' said Prohibition Commits
,ioner Kramer. in an address here the
,ther day. Despite evidences of law
breaking in some sections, the country
Is a whole is behind the amendment to
he Constitution. New York and the
.ast cannot be considered as reflect
ng the attitude of the country at large,
md in general west of Pittsburg the
is dry"