The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-09-14
PROHIBITION
FACES TEST,
SAYS REPORT
Final Outcome in Doubt Is
Conclusion Expressed by
Church Council
PASSING OF SALOON
Sentiment FavOrs It's AbOli-
tion-Drunkenness In
creases Since 1920

Washington. Sept. 14.-(R-A be-,
lief that prohibition in the United
States is facing a supreme test, with
the final outcome in doubt was ex-
pressed tonight in a report compiled
after months Of investigation by the
Research and Education Department
of the Federal Council Of Churches.
mo one can say with positiveness
what the ultimate outcome of this
test will be-" said the report. "No
cocksure optimism is warranted, nor
is pessimism or 'defeatism' justified
by the facts. Much seems to depend
upon the development Of public opin-
ion in the near future
An "unfavorable and disqu uieting"
trend since 1920 in the social conse-
quences of prohibition was seen by
the Investigators in statistics gath
cred from many sources, but the re-
port declared no available statistical
data could be accepted as conclusive
and pointed out that the wholesome
effects of prohibition are registered
in inconspicuous ways which cannot
be reduced to statistical tabulation.
Many of the claims made by those
were discarded as virtually worth
less. Publicity material circulated
with a view to influencing public
opinion was declared to have been
based largely on questionable data.
''Prohibition publicity has suffered
much" said the report, "from care
less and unwarranted differences.
Much Of the publicity given out by
the Prohibition Unit in the Treasury
Department has been of this unfor-
tunate kind. On the other hand,
much unjust and misleading propa-
ganda has been put out for the pur-
pose of discrediting prohibition"
In the question of public sentiment,
the report declared there could be
little doubt as to the mood of the
country when prohibition was adopt
ed. but that since that time various
elements had somewhat complicat-
ed the situation. On one subject,
however.-the saloon-the evidence
appeared more decisive. 1t was
said that "there seems to be not the
least doubt that the country has ac
cepted with satisfaction the passing
of the saloon"
Most of the data compiled in the
inve stigation was reserved for fu
ture disclosure, but the section of
the report made public tonight con-
tanned two sets of figures.
One summarized the responses to
QUESTIONABLE sent out to men,
bers of the National Conference Of
Social Work, majority of whom
reported that conditions in the homes
of the poor had improved in various
ways under prohibition, that chill
dren's delinquency was decreasing
and that liquor was less accessible
than formerly to minors, but that
drinking among young people had
increased as compared to pre-prohi
bition times and general respect for
law had decreased.
The other tabulation related to in
Temperance as factor in dependency
and was summarized in the report as
showing that although there was "a
sharp drop" in such cases about 1920.
there has been Every decided and
fairly consistent increases since that
date" although "there is an encour
aging number of cities that report
decreases in 1924"
The report, other sections of which
are to be made public daily over the
coming week, was prepared under the
direction of the Rev. F. Ernest john
son, head Of the Federal Councils
Research and Education Department.
In a foreword, he declared the study
had been undertaken in order to give
"fair appraisal. unbiased by per-
sonal opinion, and uninfluenced by
the great mass of current literature
which had emanated from biased
sources.