The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1930-04-01
BOOZE GOES TO CHURCH
Rev. Basil Jellicoe, of London, to
Operate a Saloon as Reform
Step

For several hundred years England has
been regulating" the liquor business. The
net result is that year after year, London
has approximately three times the number
of arrests for drunkenness as has New
York City, the largest and Wettest city in
America.
Now comes along Rev. Basil Jellicoe,
cousin of the Earl of Jellicoe, with a new
scheme. He is the rector of ST Mary'S
Episcopal Church, SomerstoWn, st. Pam
cras and he is announced as setting up a
moral drinking bar" in his parish. He
purposes to sell booze that is of the best,
and at reasonable prices. He is convinced
that liquor sold under clerical auspices and
at low price will have diIerent effect
on the consumer than if sold by an ordi-
nary bartender He has taken over
typical English drinking saloon known as
the Anchor" The Anchor" hitherto has
been called Sinking little pub" located
in the heart of SomerstoWn, one of the
most Squalid districts in London.
Rev. Jellicoe's theory is that the working
man does not go to the pub to get drink
but to see his friends In other words the
pub" is the working mans club room and
Mr.. Jellicoe says he must make it COM
Portable for him. At the same time he
believes that he will make the profession of
selling booze great, noble, and honorable
one. According to a London news story he
even has an ambition to establish a COL
lege of publicans where high-minded sa-
loonkeepers may be trained to mete out
poison to their fellow men in such a FASH
ion as to render the poison harmless.
The idea is not exactly original. Some
of the same arguments are advanced by
the friends and advocates of the govern
ment control system The promoters of
this method of dispensing liquor argue
that liquor sold by the government as
bartender really promotes sobriety and
temperance. Alcohols power to inf1ame
mans passions and rob him Of the neceS-
sites OF life is mysteriously destroyed
when dispensed by government agents.
Then, too, it will be recalled that Bishop
Henry Potter, of New York tried a scheme
somewhat similar to that being inaugu-
rated by Rev. Basil Jellicoe Bishop Pot
ters theory was that drinkers didn't
patronize the barroom primarily for the
purpose Of getting booze but that they
were in search of fellowship. He insti-
tuted Subway Tavern" on the BoWery
in wicked New York, fitting the place up
in barroom style but with no high pow
cred liquors On tap. He substituted what
became known as Potter's beer, bever-
age of low alcoholic content. He opened
the institution with prayer but the real
drinkers boycotted the place. They didn't
want prayers. They wanted liquor with
kick, SO 5hey went to other places where
they could drink without being laughed at.
Ridicule ruined the place and it went
broke.
But Rev. Basil Jeliicoe is convinced that
he can sell booze in London to the glory
Of God and proposes to give his scheme a
trial.
Mr. Je1licoes sacred booze joint is not
apt to be worse than the one portrayed in
the Illustrated NetcS. It will merely be
one of the $4,000 saloons existing in the
London area and Rev. Basil Jellicoe, like
Bishop Potter, may set some new ideas
out of his experience.
TOO MUCH FOR THE post"
r1,l.. d.. d.