Evening star., 1940-01-17
Sheppard AssaiIs
Liquor Sa|esmanship
And Ease Of Purchase
Prohibition Advocate Sees
Sofe-Drivine Pleas
kuIIified by Drinking

Senator Sheppard, Democrat, of
Texas and a dry leader, marked the
10th anniversary of the advent Of
national prohibition yesterday by
telling the Senate that I'VE can
not continue to pour nearly 2,000,-
900 gallons of alcoholic poison
every year into the veins of our de-
mocracy and expect it to survive" !"
Senator Sheppard has made a
prohibition speech every year since
repeal, in 1888, but this time he
went further and deplored the ease
with which intoxicating beverages
can be procured.
Not only is the consumption OF
liquor on the increase, he said, but
it has now become necessary to es-
tablish private institutions for the
cure of alcoholics, one of which,
he declared, has opened in Wash
ington in the last year.
What are we going to do to ar
rest this growing evil?" he asked
prevention is the only cure, and
prevention means prohibition"
Criticizes Liquor Ads.
Senator Sheppard was particu-
larly critical of publication of liquor
advertisements in newspapers and
magazines. where, he said, "they
cannot well be ignored by young or
old" He also criticized the use of
radio in broadcasting appeals in
the interest of beer and other in
toxicants, subjecting millions of
women and children to alcoholic
beverage salesmanship," as well as
the display of liquors in stores
among necessities and harmless
Injuries" Such a practice he de-
scribed as "a fraud on those who
trusted the Government to protect
the people instead of promoting liq-
uor by repeal of the 18th amend
ment."
Senator Sheppard blamed liquor
as the greatest single crime cause
and declared that Americas crime
record is a national disgrace.
"The most serious phase of the
crime situation" he said, sis in the
proportion of youthful criminals.
So long as the greatest single
crime-intoxicating liquors. per-
mitted, protected and to great
extent promoted by Government,
crime in this country will continue
to be as deadly as and as costly as
war"
Doubts "Clean House" Effects.
Senator Sheppard pointed out that
the United Brewers Industrial In
stitute has made great promises to
clean house" He said it had es-
tablished code of self-regulation
and instituted a cleanup campaign.
inviting "all good citizens to help"
but he expressed doubt that such a
campaign would be successful
"One of the most glaring incon-
sistencies of our modern American
civilization" he said, lis the pro-
motion of extensive and intensive
safety campaigns while the attitude
of Government is favorable toward
the greatest single cause of accidents
that can cripple and kill"
"Our people are urged to drive
safely and at the same time an
attitude of Government toward
liquor permits the erection of huge
signs along our highways to urge
the consumption of something that
is responsible for more traffic mis-
haps than any other single cause.
newspapers and magazines often
publish liquor advertisements in the
same issue with safety appeals. In
one breath radio announcers often
urge care in driving, and in the
next urge the use of something that
makes care unlikely, if not impos-
sible. The expenditure of millions
for safer highways, while permitting
the advertisements of intoxicants
along the highways themselves, can
hardly be considered as intelligent
education, intelligent engineering or
intelligent enforcement in the in
tereSt of Safetv'