New Britain herald., 1926-03-01
PROHIBITION, CHURCHES,
 AND THE OUTLOOK

latoi and when all of the slate mcnts arc read and duly "anu- lyzcd," as tho editorial writers say, t is found that they stand prrlt"
 much In the same position they stood in in tho first place.
 Tho latest report was one con corning the Methodist Episcopal church, north and south, and from
 this one gathers that the church is still "unnliorahly opposed" to thr
 liquor traffic In any shape or form,
 II is also opposed to bootlcgging,
 ol course, and demands more cf-
 tcctNc enforcement" How the lat
 ter is 10 be brought about is left
 for the authorities, Probably they
 are doing the lest they can.
 The Protestant Episcopal church,
 which was thought for q time 10
 ho wayorlng on the question, seems to bo upon is accustomed ground also, When the Church Temperance Society of the church, under the ucgis of pr. James Emprngham, national secretary. announced fl
 favored modification of the Vol stead law 10 permit the saIc OI beer and wine. it was thought that q notable change had taken place in the churchs attitude, especially as the society claimed to have sent out quostionnaircs to 20,000 mem bors of the society" most of whom voted for modification. This, it will be remembered, was on February 3. Scarcely had the sensational an- nouncement had time to cool when on February z Bishop W, T. Man ming, during q sermon before 2,500 people in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York, indorsed prohibition and recited the in- dorscmcnt of prohibition enforce ment by the house of bishops at the general convention at New Orleans Bishop Manning at the same time asserted that the Church Temperance Society had no official authorization to speak for the church. The conclusion is reason- able, therefore, that the Episcopal church has not changed it's atti- tudc.
 Neither has the large Roman Catholic church changed it's atti- tude, it appears, and in view of considerable speculation as to Wha1 this attitude in America happen 10 be Cardinal O'Connell of BoB- ton decided to enunciate it for the benefit of all persons interested Il will be remembered, perhaps, that he announced the church applaud ed voluntary total abstinence" but that Compulsory prohibition in general is fatly opposed 10 Holy Scripture and to Catholic tradi- tion," Cardinal Mundelein of Chi cago, in cnuncating the church s perhaps was not as forcoful, saying he regarded prohi- bition as "purely political issue not affecting the church or the faith of it's membership"
 From these statements one need no longer be in doubt as to the stand of inc Catholic church, w. gather that the American desert law is tolerated because it happens to be law, but is not approved nor held in esteem. Of course, all good Catholics are always enioincd to be aW-abiding. irrespective of how the church may regard some laws.
 There arc other church societies which have not been definitely heard from and it may be taken for granted they have no desire 10 .nter into the discussion and there fore can he regarded as not hay ng changed their attitudes.
 There can he no doubt that widespread onslaught against the operation of the law and in favor of its modification has been under way, with considerable publicity lttendng the campaign.
 That the prohibition law is not satisfactorily appears to be generally admitted. The last available report of the |. s. cen 5us bureau on commitments for drunkenness dropped, while com mitmcnts for violations of the liquor laws jumped. The census bureau declared commitments for made the biggest drop of any offcnse between those years. while violations of the liquor laws jumped from 7,713 in 1910 10 39,- $40 in 1923. There were only 9l,- }67 committed for drunkenness in 1923, against 17o,94l in 1910.
 In other words, drunkenness de- while law violations in creased. Eul there have been two years since those covered by the ,cnsus report, and it is generally admitted that the ratio Of increase in dry law violations has been great Methods ot circumvcntiuE