Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-06-12
SHAW DISCUSSES PROHIBITION

to drink It, than to have the peasants poisoned
and maddened by amateur distillers
I have given you two extreme cases: one OF
. country With efncient and orderly govern
ment, and the other Of a country where there
b corruption and bribery Of judges and Of
Metals and Intimidation Of juries. have dis
cussed the matter with prominent leaders Of
opinion In America, and they M agree that
while the direct results q pFuhiheeton are
nGidsetuy, t. indirect enecs a eriehing
raseah threatens their civilization On the
other hand n the orderly country the per-
feety efficient guvesnment shrinks from pro-
hihition. much - Il desires it. on the ground
that Il T. better for the health and efficiency
Of the workers that they should be supplied
with regulation vodka and not be left to distiu
IN secret their own horrible and poisonous
concOctions.
The task of the temperance worker there
fore is somethi ing more than the mere clos
ing Of public houses and the prohibition Of
the manufacture Of drink. The fundamental
cure is to destroy the desire for drink-to
make men ashamed of having to rely on drink
for courage and happiness
| low Is one to accomplish that-to change
the attitude of mind that regards drink
a splendid thing? 1t is usele-s to tell man
that If he drinks he will lose his self respect.
his money and his reputation. The answer is
fatty that he will not. Each family can pro-
they mostly do not go to prison, 7 : lose their
self-respect nor their position IN society. In
many instances the man who dr ks a good
deal is none the worse for it. 1t does not
seem to shorten his life. On the contrary I
am sometimes tempted to believe that men
who drink live fcrever-they seem to be able
to preserve themselves in alcohol Many Of
them. far from dying young. are never ill ex-
cept in respect of being never sober
1t seems, therefore. that will have to
deal with TIE problem on higher scale
There is expression which I do not like
to use because it seems to reflect on a nation
which has held its own very well in Europe
despite many difficulties That expression is
Dutch coura Se''-the kind of false valor that
can be produced in towards by rum. If We
can make people realize that the power of
calling into existence courage and happiness
is within them. and is paralyzed by depend
ence on artificial stimulants, shall per-
haps achieve our aim
There is a great movement today which
has its object to teach people that the body
is the creation of the mind, and not the mind
the creation CT the body. If We therefore
launch ourselves on this new current of
opinion which is sane and healthy enc. We
might convince people not that drink will do
them harm or good but that it is a disgrace
that they should be incapable of providing
their own high courage and high spirits. and
have to rely on whisky and the like to make
them cheerful and jolly. If I unable to
do without drink to support me, should feel.
indeed that my soul poor, shriveled-up
thing That IS the attitude of mind that peo-
pie must be taught if temperance is to become
a reality.
Any one who thinks that alcohol raise
his spirits is being duped and deceived Un-
der the influence of drink may think
he is enjoying himself; but really he is not.
II he relies on drink to feel high-spirited, he
is lower than his pet puppy whose delight in
barking and frisking Is at least its own and
not dependent on the publican If you cam
not get along without drink it is a sign that
your mind is turned downward, where you
see nothing but despair and disappointment
You will get into the condition of our states
men who have got into such a condition of
morbid depression that they have broken the
Bank of England when Nature is just delug
ing us with plenty.