Evening star., 1929-06-25
"Selling" Prohibition.

1.-THE advocacy of what we believe In
Is education" remarks contemporary
writer. "The advocacy of what we
don't believe in is propaganda" And,
accepting those definitions, the Gov
ernment's efforts to "sell'' observance
of the prohibition law to the country
win be an educational campaign" TO
some and a propaganda campaign" to
others. These who favor prohibition
will regard the Governments efforts
generally to pepuIarize 1t as righteous
venture comparable to such commendv
able activities by the Federal establish
ment as its moving picture films that
teach the farmer to dip his cattle. that
tell him why pure-bred stock is SUI
perior, and that dramatize the prosaic
If necessary lessons Of thrift, cieanli-
ness and care OF the infant. Those
who do not favor prohibition will look
upon the campaign as insidious propa-
ganda dealing in half-truths, teaching
an erroneous conception of temperance
and inculcating in the minds of the
young the doubtfully sound philosophy
that every law, good or bad, is law;
that 1t must, therefore, be obeyed and
to protest it is treason.
To believe that the Government can
lay middle course and spend its
available appropriation in education or
propaganda for prohibition without
arousing the applause and the catcalls
that characterize every phase Of the
subjects discussion is unfounded op-
timism. That could never be. Nor
does the Government so intend it. This
is to be positive" campaign. There
is to be no fraternizing with the enemy.
The old pictures Of dislocated iyers,
spotty hearts and unspeakably disar-
ranged stomachs, the results of too
much alcohol. are to be replaced, per-
haps, by pictures of healthy livers, pure
hearts and excellent stomachs that
never knew the onslaughts Of the
Demon Rum. 1.-THE Face on the Bar
room Floor" win be consigned to the
Oblivion it has earned for itself and in
its stead there may be poems about
money In the bank and radio In tune,
gasoline Is In the tank and papa coming
soon.
Much can be accomplished by the
Government in its campaign to de-
velop "a consciousness of the proper
attitude toward this law (the prohibi-
tion law) and all laws" provided there
is emphasis In the right place. But In
sending its message through the schools
to reach the 30,00o,000 young people
| of the Nation, the Government must
tread with care. Prohibition is moi
only moral question, but political a.
well. It win be hardly worth while tc
deaf with such subjects as the eficac,
of milk as body builder compared tt
the effects of wine. It will be q waste
Of money to contrast the glory of so.
briefly against the horrors Of drunken.
ness. The Government should max,
the best Of its opportunity to tell tn,
youthful citizens of the land somethin,
Of the political, the sociological and tn,
| NSOAAoAAAAN hS4dCo va P4OAAAbAtAOus Az oiIUult
rid young minds Of the belief that pro
hibition is merely an endless gun bat
| tie, with one-half the population
, sniping at the other half. It shoul,
try to picture prohibition as studie,
effort by sovereign people to ri,
themselves Of an evil that is older thar
civilization, and that the success Of thi
, effort is impossible without struggle.
AS they grow older, the youn
i citizens win become familiar with tn
: manifestations Of this struggle. A
4 they inherit the rights OF citizenshl
{ from their fathers, they may see 1T t
y use them to change the method Of at
/, tack. II the method chosen by thei
y fathers seems to them unworkabl'
4 They should not be told that thei
e fathers have done all the thinking tha
d can be done on the subject. The Gov
ernment wants to teach future citlzer