Evening star., 1925-09-14

some statistics tend to show i'm.
proved family and home conditions.
Other figures, just as reliable indi-
cate more drunkenness among the
| younger genera ton and an increa sing
disrespect for lsw
The issue is SO beclouded by propa-
ganda. mislea ding. but usually not
| deliberately false. put out by both
vets and drys and including the sta
tistics issued by the Federal Prohibi
| tion Unit. that II Is impossible to ar
rive AT conclusion without extensive
and very dificult original research
Those are some of the conclusions
partment OF the Federal Council Of
Churches after an unbiased effort to
arrive at the truth.
Facinr Supreme Test.
The council approached the problem
without any preconceived conclusions.
determined to let the sparks fall as
they would. The net result is that the
investigators concluded prohibition
and the whole social policy It repre-
sents faces supreme test in the
United States.
No one can say with positiveness
what the ultimate outcome OF this test
will be" SAYS the report. NO cock.
sure optimism Is warranted nor Ia pes
simism justified by the facts. Much
seems to depend on the development
OF public opinion in the near future"
The report declares that no avail
able statistical data should be ac-
cepted as conclusive and points out
that the wholesome effects OF pro-
hibition are registered In incon-
spicuo,Is ways which cannot he re-
duced TO statistical tabulation.
very common error" saws the
report. rs to assume that some un-
questioned development has sprung
wholly from single cause. The
fact that certain gratifying results
followed national prohibition does
not always imply that they resulted
from II. Prohibition publicity has
suffered much from careless and un-
~arra nted differences. Much Of the
publicity given out by the prohbi-
tion unit OF the Treasury Department
has been Of this unfortunate kind.
Public Sentiment Doubtful.
On the question Of public senti-
ment the report says that there can
he little doubt that when prohibition
was adopted the country wanted IT.
Since that time other elements have
complicated the situation.
On one feature. the passing of the
open saloon. the report speaks with
some positiveness.
There does not seem TO he the
lease doubt" it says. that the coun
try has accepted with satisfaction
the passing Of the saloon. The aboli
ton of the open sa loon is an almost
universally admitted moral and econ
omic gain, vet IL does not leave re-
suits that can be readily measured. :"
Much of the data compiled in the
investiga ton was reserved for future
disclosure. hut the section made pub
lie last night contained two sets of
figures. One summarized the re-
sponses 10 QUESTIONABLE sent out to
members of the National Conference
on Social Work. which tends on the
whole to indicate an improvement in
the homes OF the poor. although there
was by no means unanimous
opinion on any single feature.
The other tabulstion related to in
tenpera ance az a factor in depe ndency
and weS summa rized as showing that
although there was sharp drop In
such Eases about 1920 there have heen
very decided and fairly consistent In.
cresses since that date, although
! there are an encouraging number OF
cities that report decreases In 1924.
The report. other sections OF which
are to he made public daily over the
coming week. was prepared under the
direction OF Rev. F. Ernest johnson.
head of the Research a nd Educa tional
Department Of the Federal Council of
Churches.
Dependency on Increase.
Statistics for Washington on de-
pendency due TO intemperance were
obtained from the case records OF the
Associated Charities. In 1920. when
the dry law went into effect. 5.94 per
cent of all cases OF dependency were
due 10 liquor. The next year. with
the saloons closed and before Illicit
liquor sales had become well estab-
lished, showed a gratifying decrease
to 81 per cent. Ever since. however.
there has been sharp, steady in
crease In 1922 the dependency cases
'due to liquor nearly came hack to the
1920 level being 5.12 per cent. In
1928 they were s.5l per cent. In 1924
they took a big jump TO 1924 per cent.
In Baltimore the change does not
seem to have been 50 marked and
Throughout the time studied a anna Her
number of dependency cases are laid
10 the door of intemperance. The
| figures for seven years. starting with
/ 1918. expressed in percentages Of total
dependency. are as follows: SIS, 81
l0.7S, 1.4s. 81, So. s.24.
/ In summing UP the reactions to pro-
hibition the report speaks as follows:
The unwelcome phenomena which h
have become Ia mtlisr TO va - result
| Of national prohibition are OF the sort
, that might be expected TO follow any
precipitate change in social policy
! first. a falling away on the part of the
religious and moral forces from the
crusa ding enthusiasm which brought
a bout the new regime: secondly. the
raj pid development of counter move
ment of popular opinion. which in this
case Is made many times more effec.
| tive by the fact that what is reeulat-
ed is not merely custom but an ap.
! petite which men will pay heavily to
crafty. The resulting problem IA
made more difficult by several factors:
the strong individualistic tradition In
A merican life: our heterogeneous pop
uia ation, many of whom are by habit
and native background rendered hos
| tile and even uncomprehen nding to.
ward prohibition OF the liquor traffic:
the tight grip that the liquor business
| has long held upon our political life:
! our dual form of government, Federal
end state, with itS division OF func.
tons and responsibilities; and the
moral reaction that is a part Of our
| heritage from the war, which accen.
tuates every lawless tendency.
In presenting A record OF the
| social facts that are commonly men-
toned as showing the effects OF pro.
| hibition, it cannot be too strongly
| insisted that such statistics are only
partially significant and are not con
| elusive. The study on which this
kH h IL "a