Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-08

more important
today. For the M
concentration of
society in highly Mrs. Clifford Pinchot
mechanical age.
IS we'll as the economic development
of our civilization. makes the actions
of each individual more important tt
the general welfare than ever.
THE driving of a motor by a mar
or woman under the influence Of al
Cohol certainly affects the life and
happiness of individuals who have nc
personal contact with the driver. ii
a wage Garner is unable to support his
family land not even the wettest wet
will DENY this is usually the case with
a confirmed drunkardl, the cost falls
upon the community. and so on.
We asked Mrs Pinchot If the dry
law had abated the social menace OF
alcohol.
Less Liquor Consumed.
II believe, inadequate and corrupt
as the administration of the law is IN
some sections, that it has actually
lessened the amount of liquor con.
sumed." she said. Amy factory owner
will admit there is a much lower per-
centage of non-attendance on the first
DAYS of the week than existed a few
wears ago, when often 40 or 60 per
cent of the workers would be absent.
Reliable statistics prove this.
What have you noticed in reaction
to the law? DO people respect 1t
Does their attitude strengthen respect
for other laws?"
Mrs. Pinchot thinks Ii impossible
for any one who has not made care
full and at least semi-scientitlc investi-
cation of groups in various sections OF
the country--urban, rural, agricul.
tural-to say what the general pub
lies reaction is.
ut would merely be answering"
she says. "out of ones emotions and
point of view. There are thousands.
especially in the big Eastern cities.
who openly violate the law and cyni-
caily and obviously have no respect
for it. Most of these rationaiize their
actions by proclaiming that the in.
effectuality of prohibition casts disre-
spect on other laws. But here again
a careful analysis would have to be
made and some method worked out
by which other factors-greater pres
perity, movies, the automobile, divorce.
etc.-would be isolated.
Thinks Majority Favor Law.
81 believe the great ma jority in the
United States favor the prohibition
laws and that there is not the slight
est chance OF repeal
Asked whether she believed alcohol
was ever beneficial. Mrs. Pinchot said
that. medically used. II was losing
favor.
I'm the past few years." she says.
"the technique of drugs has been de.
yeloped and those better adapted for
medicinal purposes have been found.
with few bad results. You may say
many people are benefited by alcohol.
made happier by it and have no harm
from its moderate use, but that Is
mere opinion"
Mrs. Former Governor of Penn
sylvania strongly subscribes to the
drys' assertion that the eighteenth
amendment is the will of the ma jority
and the rest must manage as best
they may, even IL seven years
valiant attempts at enforcement have
not brought wholly satisfactory re-
suits.
Certainly the ma jority must rule"
agrees Mrs. Pinchot firmly. land the
United States Constitution makes no
distinction between a drastic law and
any other"
To the vets contention that the
constant discussion of drink Is bound
to affect the younger generation
badly instead of making them alb
stemious. Mrs. Pinchot, herself the
mother of a growing boy, retortS:
II know no formula by which all
members of a generation can be
grouped and one answer made for
each individual. II you ask ii young
people drink more or less because of
the dry law, the answer must be that
they will surely drink less in the
future"
Question Of Liberty.
The inevitable question of infringe
ment of personal liberty. without
which no interview on prohibition
would be complete. elicits this re-
Spouse.
THE same answer can be made to
this that one makes to those who COM
plain of speed and traffic rules on the
ground that they curtail personal
rights Also to those who object to
the prohibition Of child labor and to
factory legislation on the plea that
their business Is their own and 1t is
no ones concern how they run 1t. In
a civilized community the liberty of
the individual must be curtailed by
the need for protecting society. The
good of the whole has naturally a
greater significance than personal
freedom for selfindulgence."
Mrs. Pinchot's association with pro-
gresske movements of all sorts, in
cludiis8 the fight for, women's citizen.
ship, makes her opinion worth while
garding women's influence in modi-
flying the dry law or letting it be
as it is.
1T is impossible to speak of wom-
en- as whole" she insists, for there
are many women who violate the law.
Yet out of any 10000 women a greater
number will be found in favor of dry
legislation than among an equal num-
Der of men.
But prohibition is in no sense
sex war and cannot he considered as
such. 1t was put over before the
nineteenth amendment gave women
the vote. 1t was put over by Con-
gress and Senate composed entirely
of men. and ratified i'm most cases by
legislatures in which no women were
sitting.
II believe a vast ma ority OF our
American people, men and women, are
behind the law. and that no change
In it is possible"
This is the true athlete. he who
exarejSax hinSalf AGAINST lem nj a ( ions