Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-30
BARLEYCORN UEBER ALLIES?

I A1OTIllNG could he more significant Of
~ modern trends or thinking than the
pcrsis,"rcy with which the tcrminoogy of
war IS applied to the affairs of pence. We
had a dry conquest of America. Elcc.
tions are to be carried If you believe the
campaign managers. by assaults on this
or that political salient" Propaganda Is
now the work Of persons who formerly we're
content TO be designated as political press
agents. And So. when the advocates Of n
wet world met the Other day in Brussels to
organi7" and find money TO check the work
ot rrohihitions;s they assembled in secret
and talked Of "a war against laws and
movements designed - restrict or abolish
the liquor traffic In the United States and
elsewhere.
ii il this general tendency TO use the
methods as we'll ns the terms Of definition
originated By military general STATS that Is
beginning to irritate the non. combatant
public. Why should any movement intended
to affect whole people he achieved, organ
tied and directed In secret? Why should
either the drys or the vets Of this world
feel impellcd to operate from any sort Of
ambush? There Is now in this and other
countries a great confusion Of opinion In
relation to the prohibition movement.
But II the feeling Of Americans could
ba analysed it probably would be shown
that most Of the nti-volstead sentiment
is--ant! .Volstead sentiment and little else.
That Is, the average man who finds himself
opposed 10 prohibition as We know II Is not
necessarily disposed TO favor either the re-
turn Of tn" liquor traffic 10 legal basis
or 4 revival uf the saloon. What he resents,
though he may not always say as much. Is
the presence Of NOR" or less mysterious
-. IL, nd
without his knowledge. advice or consent,
60 about 'hc business Of regulating him.
ia certain that there would have been a
more unanimous support Of the dry laws In
the United States and less widespread
disposition 70 evade or ignore them ii the
movement which eliminated IN the dry
amendment End the Nolstend oct lad not
hrcr surrounded in Is early stages with nm
mir ii mastery and i: the country had been
pcrmitteI to know moro about the source
of the energy which il displayed at the last.
u tho drys GOT off with a bad start the
vets are getting of with n worse one. The
world association Of opponents OF p-oh1.
btion' seems determined 10 operate subtly
and in secret for tho control Of public orn.
ion IN countries where prohibition ~ a
rrrssn. or approaching fact. They aren't
content 20 nv, their cards on the table. TO
argue the thing out upon its merits and TO
leave the dorision 70 III" peoples .nm"-
diateIy and directly concerned. They. too.
a.. yoeking approa"h,s to the lawmakers
ard means by which laws may b" passed
frat and submitted ior ruhl!c discussion
af-crwnri They suffer- from dangerous
r!eaprrohen s!ons a. IT." beginning. For
,yh.lr the drys must be credited with an
fort 70 serve moral principle. the vets
crc frankly out TO serve only themselves and
Others engaged commercially in the d!str!-
button ul nioxiCants
u the patience OF the Nubl!r has been
.-ic,; II, a"rrc- mancrvsrs ~ rcor!" intent
uron r,'!f'irg It. what Wi! II say OF equally
secret irancur"rs frankly devised 10 thro"
- dow.