The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1924-02-22
BELGlANS HEAR TALK OF
SAFETY BY ABSTINENCE
Railway Worker Gives Excellent
Reasons Why Transportation
Employees Should Not Drink
SOME PROGRESS IS NOTED
Father Mas Asks Cooperation
of the Medical Profession in
Teaching Alcoholic Effects

The influence of the use of alcoholic
liquors on safety of travel by rail, boat,
automobile and airplane and cn the
production of intellectual and indus
trial work, was one of the subjects
considered at the recent convention of
the Federation of Total Abstinence So
cieties in Brussels. A presentation of
great interest was given by NJ. de
Haas, Dutch railway man and secfe-
tary of the International Federation
of Abstaining Railway Employees. He
gave excellent reasons for promotion
of abstinence among railway men and
brought out the fact that in most of
the countries OF the world railway
workers have formed temperance or
CARNATIONS. Belgium, which has no
such organization, expects soon to join
the other countries in that regard.
A resolution was adopted that, while
waiting for the general adoption of
total abstinence by railway men as
well as by the operators of street cars
and automobiles, aviators and the per-
sonnet OF ships, the consumption of al
coholic beverages should be forbid
den during the service; that detectives
should be eliminated by a preliminary
examination; that there should be cre-
ated for the use of employees canteens
without alcoholic liquors and that pub
licity should be given to the idea that
it is dangerous to give alcoholic bev-
erages as tips to railway employees.
Doctor Legrainl of Paris made some
observations on the phycho-physiol-
ogy OF alcohol. DIR. Delantsheere of
Brussels, physician for the railway adj
ministration, brought out some COM
forting facts regarding the progress of
sobriety among the personnel of Bel
gian railway operators.
Sees Cut in Liquor Use
DR.. NJ. P. Boulengcr speaking of the
application OF the law of 1910 asserted
that the consumption of distilled alco-
hol had been diminished by half, and
that beer and wine are not being sold
in greater quantity than before the
war He said also that the diminution
OF alcoholic criminality and liquor dis
cases is distinct. He advocated MAIN
tanning the law while waiting for it
to be enforced. A study of methods
of extending the habit of abstinence to
childhood and youth, especially in or
ganizations like the boy scouts and
girl guides, brought out the necessity
OF combating the use by children of
fcrmentcd and distilled liquors. Rev.
Father Mas insisted that the medical
profession could cooperate with the
schools and the families in promoting
juvenile abstinence.
The League of Mental Hygiene, the
Eugenics Society, the League Against
the Venereal Peril, and the Red Cross,
expressed their sympathy with the
congress.
A number of public meetings offered
opportunity for the Belgian and for
eign participants to discuss the status
of the fight against alcoholism through
out the world. Statements of especial
interest were made by DR.. Robert Her
cod of Lausanne, Rev. Father Mas
of Aiken, DR.. Legrain of Paris, Ma
dame Waterford of London, Mr.. Hop
kins of Gloucester, and p. van der
Meulen of Holland.
At the first congress of the Belgian
National League Against Cancer the
observation was made that the use of
alcohol influences the development of
cancer