The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-02-08
FORMER GOVERNOR
BACK FROM EUROPE

81 come back to my country more
Of prohibitionist than ] ever was,'
said John Gary Evans, former COVER
nor of South Carolina, last night while
at the state house where he was
watching with much interest the pro-
ceedings of the Legislature. Mr.
Evans returned to America short
time ago after having spent several
months in Europe and northern At
RIGA
81 have seen so much of wine drink
ing and whiskey drinking and beer
drinking; so few persons who were
actually sober, so many evidences of
degeneracy brought about by exces-
sive use of alcohol, that l feel like
commenting our country because we
took alcohol in hand before it had
gotten death grip on our people.
"Not that you see many people in
Europe in the cutters dead drunk,
yet there are few who are sober at
any time. Day and night they are
under the influence of alcohol.
"Lloyd George is the olny man in
Europe who has any common sense
and might say he is almost the only
sober one.
Talks of Morality.
"Moral conditions in England are
at tn 'owest ebb. All of Europe is
STEPPED in immorality-there is no
Christianity over there. The people
go through the forms but they are ab-
soiutcly ignorant Of the teachings of
the Christ. The larger cities on the
continent are worse than Sodom and
Gomorrah and it is wonder that
they have not been destroyed. The
Arabs of Egypt were the only sober
people saw.
"The people realize that they are in
bad way--that their civilization,
their methods of life and of doing
business are almost a failure-that
their political and social systems are
founded on wrong principles. They
have debased agriculture and the ag-
riculturist in Italy is little better off
than he was in feudal times.
1.-THE people don't know where to
Z 'tnrn-they have no confidence in any,
thing except in America and they are
hoping that America will step in and
show them the way.
sAmerica has had an opportunity
that comes 10 but few nations, and
ggs6s seized e she could have nasde
lGHUs 81 nearly every country 3ii the
: world. AS it is today, with American
big business men controlling the sit
uation fear We have lost our oppor-
tunity; we are coming to be regarded
as exploiters instead of humanitari-
ans.
at is beautiful to see in what re-
gard the people, even the school chill
dren. hold Woodrow Wilson and how
they have memorized his IA points
They can't see why America repu-
dated such humane and benevolent
principles. 1t will be impossible for
us to accomplish anything except
through the policy and the means sug-
gested by Woodrow Wilson, and
hope America will regain the position
she held under his leadership"
Need of Cotton.
The need Of cotton and American
supplies is felt sorely in Europe, Mr..
Evans said. presidents of big bust
ress concerns in the United States are
sitting around in Europe waiting for
concessions, thus holding Southern
and Western supplies out of the coun-
try. The people need only little
credit to get going. If the people
Of the South and West could see how
they are being deprived of selling op-
portunities in Europe there would Re
revolution in this country.
"In Italy, which used to be great
consumer of cheaper grades Of cotton,
saw hundreds Of people on the river
banks washing their one cotton gar
ment, drying it and putting 1t on
again. If given chance these people
could buy hundreds Of bales of cotton.
We are losing our opportunity to go
in and capture the trade and the
friendship Of the nations of Europe
Mr. Evans said the feeling in Egypt
against England was very bitter and
that England was taxing the Egyp-
tians heavily.
Mr.. Evans met many old friends at
the state house and talked most in
terestingly and entertaininly Of his
trip through Europe. He said the
trenches and shell holes on the battle
fields had largely been filled up and
were now being cultivated, but that
the ruined cities and villages had not
been rebuilt. The need Of American
implements and machinery was great,
he said.
Mr. Eunnc uuill rntnrn To his home