Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-07-26

land.
The British public is so much in
terested in the experience of the
United States with prohibition that
not infrequently statements are
published of surveys of the situation
made, it is stated, with an impartial
eye. This latter statement must
be taken by American readers with
some skepticism because the tone of
the British press indicates clearly
that it would be very difficult for any
British paper to refrain from a wet
bias. However, an effort doubtless
Is made to look at the situation i'm
partially.
British Conclusions
A survey published in what pro-
baby is the leading British journal
recently summed up the American
situation by saying that prohibition
has proved effective in the rural re-
gions of the United States but has
proved an almost complete failure
in the great cities. An interesting
analysis of the causes of this is
made. 1t is stated that the city
dweller, cooped up through the days
in factories and engaged in a dull
routine of industrial or Office toll,
requires stimulants more insistently
than the man who dwells in the
open spaces of the country where
there is plenty of fresh air and
abundant food. Further, 1t is ex-
planned, the possibilities of distribu-
ing Illicit liquor in the cities are
multiplied. A large demand exists
and many channels for supplying it
necessarily open up. The British
paper also points out that the ap-
paratus for manufacture of liquor
is so simple to make or so easy to
adapt that there is no cause for
wonder that the demand is taken
care of. The paper frankly express
es the gravest doubt of the possibility
of yer making a great city dry in
any country.
One British survey believes that
prohibition is responsible for a great
increase in crime in the United
states. 1t quotes a statement of the
American Bar Association showing
that crime has increased coincidently
with the era of prohibition. The
British press seems fairly unanimous
in suggesting to the American people
the modification of the Volstead
Law and the substitution of some
thing of the sort which is done in
Canada-the Government dispensary
system wherein the Government is
the bar tender and sells only beer
and wine for public consumption and
liquor only in small quantities for
the home. Besides, it is pointed out,
the Government derives a substantial
revenue from its liquor sales.
Great Britain is not the only coun-
try which is watching the American
experiment with close attention. Not
long ago, Sweden conducted a re-
ferendum on the question of ma
tional prohibition. Before the vote
was taken, the Swedish Government
instructed its Legation at Washing
ton TO collect and send to Stockholm
for special study all available in
formation on both sides of the ques-
ton. The Legation consulted the
Anti-Saloon league and such organ
izations on the one hand, the AS
ISOLATION Opposed to Prohibition and
similar interests on the other and
made its own general survey of the
situation. These papers were for
warded to Sweden and digested by
the Government.
1t Is understood that the facts on
both sides of the question of how
prohibition worked in the United
States were given wide publicity
throughout Sweden with the result
, that the nation voted prohibition
down. There seemed to be an in
dicatian, however, that the rural
districts were less opposed TO it
| than the cities. This would indicate,
in view of the fact that the Ameri-
/ can experience was widely known,
that many people would be in favor
of prohibition if they thought it
could be enforced but were not in
favor of the imposition of a sumptu-
airy law which merely would increase
law breaking.