The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1923-09-21
DRY SENTIMENT GROWS
IN BRITISH ISLES Is
REPORT BY NICHOLSON
Methodist Bishop, President of the
Anti-Saloon League of America,
Spoke at Irish Prohibition
Celebration

Bishop Thomas Nicholson, president
of the Anti-Saloon League of America,
has recently returned from visit to
Scotland Ireland and England. He re-
ports that in all these countries there
is deep interest in the temperance
problem, with many encouraging signs
pointing toward future prohibition vic
tories There is an unmistakable
growth of temperance sentiment in
Ireland and England Bishop Nichol-
son writes, in recent number of the
Northwestern Christian Advocate. 1T
is significant in Southern Ireland, as
indicated by the reference above to the
Metropole Hotel operated by the
superintendent of our Sunday School
in Cork, Mr.. Musgrave. He has many
other important interests i'll the city
and is one OF its leading and most
highly respected citizens. His hotel is
hrst-class and no liquors of any kind
are served. No quarter is given to in
temperance, yet it is paying invest
ment and is recognized as one of the
best hotels in Ireland. We thought
that would be exceptional but in prac-
tically every city we saw we found
something of the sort duplicated.
Again and again we saw both in
Northern and Southern Ireland the
sign Temperance Hotel The first
night in Belfast we stayed at the Rob-
inson Hotel, more modest hosiery
than the Metropole at Cork but very
good, entirely clean, and we found
there considerable group of the lay
delegates to the conference.
"The legislature OF Northern Ireland
while we were there passed their first
prohibition legislation. 1t became
law on Saturday, June 10. By its pro-
visions all drinking places were closed
on Sunday. The sale of Intoxicating
liquor is prohibited in all grocery stores
and drug stores and certain other pro-
visions are incorporated which make
very good start toward American
prohibition The announcement was
made at a rally on Saturday evening.
| have seen many demonstrations but
| never before saw a real Irish dem
onstration. | saw one then which can
never be forgotten. There can be no
question where Irish Methodsm
stands on the prohibition question.
Immediately the chairman announced
that fraternal delegate from Amer
lea as the president of the Anti-Saloon
League had consented to speak the
next evening in Grosvenor Hall at
ratification rally. Needless TO say that
the reception of the announcement
made us feel at home, and the next
evening for nearly an hour this writer
had the great privilege OF speaking on
prohibition in America to an audience
of three thousand people who were
about as enthusiastic as one could de-
sire. 1t was a great opportunity to be
permitted to help Erin TO celebrate its
first great prohibition victory.
I'VE heard the debate on temper
ance and prohibition at the British
Conference in Bristol The brethren
in England are not quite so far along
on this question: but it is perfectly
clear that there as in America Meth
odism is furnishing leadership in the
temperance and prohibition movement.
We were greatly heartened by the tone
and the substance of these debates.
Not only the preachers but the great
| laymen of Britain were speaking out
in no uncertain tones against the
liouor traffic"