Evening star., 1923-07-26
BY HERBERT COREY.
Snecial Core esnnndent of The Star.


COTHENBURG, Sweden. July IL
"NNe will never have prohibition in
Sweden" said my cicerone, at the nat
tional exposition at Gothenburs.
"There'S the proof"
prohibition is coming said the
next man who walked through the
halls with me. There's the proof"
Both men pointed to the same set
of figures. posted on the wall of one
of the interesting social exhibits at
the great fair. These showed that
the l. O. q. T.-the Independent Order
of Good Templars-had grown stead
lily in numbers and prosperity for
years Then the war came and the
]. O. G. T. fell off sharply. Now the
order is growing again.
The explanation. as given by both
men. though the Interpretation diff
fered. is that prohibition is a re
ligious movement in Sweden. In this
DR. Ivan Bratt. the head and origi-
natur of the Spirits Monopoly, which
absolutely controls all Legitimate
trade in alcohol in Sweden, is quite
agreed.
Once Nation of Bottle Drinkers.
Fifty years ago or so sweden had
become country or DOlIle ullnhtI >.
Tho l. @ q. II. was the first OF the
DOW erful influences which have op-
Grated to make Sweden the eXtraor-
ainarily temperate country Whlch IL 10
today. DIR. Bratt regrets that rells-
icuS feeling should persist in what ne
regards; as Il civic and economic prob
lem. That it would have been i'm
possible for him to create the IRE
mendous machine for the regulation
downward of liquor consumption
without the aid of the /. o. q. I ana
affiliated organizations he would not
deny.
At the outbreak of the great war
there seemed every reason to belleVe
that prohibition was certainty OF
the future in Sweden, | was tod DE
representatives of both sides. Inc
l. o. q. T was increasing in strength
1t does a great work of FURNISHING
proper recreation for its members anu
looking after their ply ana moral
we'll being. The effect OF liquor drinh-
ing on the human system was peih5
taught in schools.
1t was in March, 1914, before war
had even been thought OF, that II:
Bratt obtained Legislative authority
for putting into effect the prestnt
stockholm system. rms iranhs
assumes to regulate the sale OF hapa i
drinks for the protection ol soSiel'
and the individual.
Less Allotted to Women.
No householder may buy more than
four liters-less than four quarts,,,
zach month, and this on mot-pooh
which diScloSeS precisely now ihuSlt
he gets A second notebook is rarely
issued in the same house. women
who are independent workers may
take out notebooks. but the quan1Itg
they may purchase is lower. ne
holder of notebook must snow MIN
self TO be a well behaved member or
society. No restrictions on the SAFE
of light beers and wines are MADE
but the amount purchased is recoru-
ed and if a householder buys 100
much his supply may be cut on. lie
can buy only at one place
I'VE sought to eliminate human
greed" DR.. Bratt told me.
Therefore the licensed selling com
many must turn over all it's profits in
excess of per cent to the state. In
restaurants one may buy strlctly
regulated amount of brandy or
schnapps with meal. but the supply
OF liquor furnished to the restaura-
teur is limited. He is permitted 10
make a profit on portion of this.
but for the remainder he must pay
TO the central organization preciselF
the sum for which he sells ii. The
scheme was working nicely-aS 1t is
working now-when the restrictions
consequent upon war came into ell
feet.
Wartime Conditions DeplOrable.
These restrictions amounted al
most to prohlbltlon. 1ne llrIheuidIe
result was that an epidemic of home
distilling broke out. Sweden was
once d land in which every farmer
made his akravit-home made bran
dy-for his own consumption. Every
one knew how. There was plenty of
brandy to be Smuggled in. The con-
ditions that existed during that pc
riod of near prohibition is referred TO
with a shudder by most of those to
whom | have talked. The people
drank too much. The quality was de-
plorable.
The membership of the ]. o. q. T..
as shown by the exhibits of the So
ciety at the Gothenburg exposition.
fell off sharply. This is accounted
for in various ways. One suggestion
is that many members OF the !. o. G.
IT. felt that practical prohibition hav-
ing arrived. there was no need for
them to continue the struggle. Many
of the younger members may have
been swept away by the flood of bad
brandy which was so easily get-at-
able There was. perhaps. revul-
sion from the prohibition idea be-
cause of the demonstration of it's i'm