The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-09-05
Is Prohibition the Only Remedy?

Whether you are friend or foe of prohibition,
YOU are sure to be interested in the series of articles
on the subject of liquor control beginning in The
Times today
Sooner or later we are going to have to settle this
great problem. Nobody is satisfied with the present
state of affairs save the underworld, which is making
vast fortunes out of it.
That our prohibition does not prohibit long since
has become as trite it is true The country is
flooded with liquor. 1t can be had by the glass or
by the barrel.
Both drunkenness and crime rapidly are increas-
ing in our country peddlers push their sales
and underworld gangs battle with ali the implements
of real war for supremacy in the alcohol market
High school boys and girls being ruined by
drinking because under existing conditions they
can buy liquor as easily as grown-ups school
child's money looks as good to bootlegger any
bodys.
The honesty of those charged with law enforce
ment-not only of the liquor laws, but all LAWS
being undermined tempted as they constantly are by
the big money held out to them by the now highly
organized liquor rings.
Graft and corruption are becoming increasingly
common in every branch of Government city,
county State and Federal
Respect for all law is going by the boards as the
American people grow accustomed to the wholesale
Haunting, by public officials well as by private
citizens of the most talked-of law of the land The
Constitution itself is involved.
What are going to do about it?
Admittedly, drunkenness is great evil. But are
we curing it? Is prohibition the only remedy? Are
we certain that it is a remedy at all?
DR.. Ivan Bratt famous Swedish physician, social
reformer and temperance advocate, says no. He
does not believe prohibition is a remedy. He says
you can't change human nature by law. And tenn
perance is essentially human, not legal problem.
Commencing with this idea, Dr. Bratt first worked
out liquor control system for Stockholm, then for
all Sweden. 1t into effect just about the time
ours did It seems to be working admirably
Liquor consumption has been cut to approximately
half drunkenness to better than half and crime about
go per cent while with us things have gone steadily
from bad to
Particularly has the situation among the young
people of Sweden improved
Our foreign affairs editor just has completed
study, on the spot, of the Swedish system for the
benefit Of our readers He watched the system at
work He tested its rules by deliberately trying to
break them He interviewed Dr. Bratt police chief
of Stockholm and others.
Then, to complete the picture, and to obtain an
interesting comparison, he went Finland swedens
prohibition neighbor to see how things working
out there.
These stories about booze will interest you. They
are important moreover, because they have direct
bearing upon our own problems here at home. For,
blink it though may, this liquor control business
has become the biggest and most far-reaching do
mestic problem confronting the race.
And it will remain so, and increase in Importance,
until it is settled in conformity with American public
opinion whole.
You will find the first article on Page 2. Begin
reading the series today.