Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-07
MRS. .W|LLEBRANDT
SAYS DRINKING CUT
Believes Reports Of Increased
Liquor Use Greatly
Exaggerated.
CONTINUED From First Page)
Now what is the situation?

Now what is the situation?
LIQUOR is being sold and Is obtainable,
as have said, throughout the country.
But viewing it calmly, think 1t is very
doubtful whether as much drinking Is
done as appears to be done. That seems
like a contradictory if not senSeleSS
statement. But it is certainly true tnaC
in the old days when man LOOK a
drink either in his home, in his club or
in a saloon, that fact was no novelty OF
news" either to him, his neighbors or
the newspapers But now let man,
woman. girl or boy do very much drink.
ing and the fact becomes one OF almost
general public comment. AL country
clubs they boast, in the churches they
deplore, in political forums they accuse,
but everywhere they talk. The ineVlta-
BILE result is eXaggeration OF the paSic
fact My public experience mas mace
me believe that a psychological maxim
as accurate as an algebraic formula is
that fact plus feeling plus repetition
EQUALS great exaggeration and unren-
able conclusion. And that's about the
course of most prohibition discussion
today among both 'wets" and "drys.
1t is regarded as so smart and eXpen-
sive in some circles that we might al
most say bell rings or a whistle oloWs
every time drinks are passed. In the
old DAYS a man drank glass of beer or
whisky, or several of them, all as
matter Of course.
Emulate Jack Horner.
TODAY we are like little Jack Horner
pulling out cocktail shakers with ON.
what a smart boy am T." The adver-
Using and exaggerated Importance,
then. which is often all unconSclouSly
given to every drink now consumed as
forts its real value in making an honest
estimate of how wet America really Is.
This is especially true with reference
to society drinking" There never was
time in the old days when liquor was
not freely consumed in the clubhouSes
frequented by the we'll to do. But my
personal opinion is that there is no
greater amount of drinking now by men
and women of leisure and wealth. Few
do it from habit More do 1t for show.
In nearly every country club will be
found a coterie who attract attention
by their large and f1agrantly conducted
parties" 1 was in nearby city just
short time ago. My host said he
couldn't go to a big country club party
because il was to become NOISY" and
my presence would embarrass his
friends. He fastened to add that all
though this was group OF the best
social set. the majority of the club
vet parties. Nevertheless it is the per-
Torrance of a small senSation-seeking
group that attracts most attention and
convinces many people that all the
country is Wetter than ever before.
People so often ask, But if prohibit
ton is any success at all. why is it that
arrests for drunkenness in many cities
have increased in recent years?" I re-
member Senator Reed of Missouri made
oIo hot Aaf4 1,a laff
the Senate. Undoubtedly increased ar
rests for drunkenness indicate bad
symptom. But it is ridiculous to assume
that it proves any increase in drinking
I we'll remember that when was public
defender in the police courts of Los
Angeles the "drunks" picked up on the
streets at night and from the saloons
at closing time were treated quite diff
ferently than they are in that city and
practically every other city in the
United States today. Now they are
placed under formal arrest charged with
illegal possession or sale Of liquor or
the violation of some city ordinance.
Then they we're regarded as objects of
pity and placed in the drunk tank"
In the early morning they were hailed
into what was known as sunrise court"
After admonition by the judge or pay
ment of SIS police lodging fee" they
were. If sobered, turned out in time to
reach their place of business without
loss OF working day. have seen as
high as 140 men and women passed
through sunrise court in one morning.
Only when their offense was repeated
SO as to become habitual were they for
mally charged, arraigned and tried.
Recall Days of 1914.
From 1911 to 1914. while attending
law school, used to wait late at night
when the law library closed on the
corner of First and Main streets in Los
Angeles for the interurban car to my
suburban home. Indelibly impressed
upon my mind is the fact that scarcely
a night-never a week-went by with
out several drunken men Keeling past
me from the five saloons near that cor
ner. No one noticed them. Now one
such incident would cause headlines.
illusions can be drawn as to the wetness
of the United States today by compar-
ing police blotters for drunkenness be-
fore and since prohibition.
Travelling men and others who have
business contacts frequently say, why,
in the old days when we were engaged
In a deal we passed out or were handed
cigar, and now we are taken into a
private Office and bottle of liquor is
pulled out of file case or the bottom
drawer as the method of breaking the
ice and producing congeniality"
No one will deny, Of course, that there
was so-called business drinking in the
old days. This treating in private Offices
is only the modern form of the old