Evening star., 1944-01-24
DRY" Advocate Tells "Wets"
Not to Hide Behind Soldiers.


TO the Editor Of The Star:
Beer is being shipped from Milwaukee,
home Of Pabst and Schlitz, to st. Louis,
home OF Budweiser, passing en- route
shipments of beer from ST. Louis to
Milwaukee. In the month OF October,
1943, California received shipments of
beer from 81 other States, including
Connecticut, New York, Wisconsin, Mis-
souri, and Utah, despite the production
of beer in San Francisco and Los
Angeles
Dairymen and poultrymen face a seri-
Gus problem because of the shortage of
feed, yet hundreds of thousands of tons
of grain and other raw materials are
being used to make beer to supply in
Vulnerable beer joints. The shortage of
labor Is acute, yet hundreds of thou
sands of men and women are being
used to distribute whiskey, wine and
beer. Railroads are over burdened and
their managers are perplexed by the de-
terioration of rolling stock and road
beds, but they are transporting millions
OF tons Of alcoholic beverages, despite
the numerous shortages of necessities
In various parts Of the country. Rubber
still is short and gasoline is rationed
while millions Of truck loads of intoxi-
cants pass over our highways and
streets.
Despite these facts, anyone who IA
vors prohibition or drastic restrictions
upon the alcoholic beverage traffic for
the duration of the war Is accused of
taking advantage Of the absence from
civilian life of the men in the armed
services to put over" unjustified in
fringement of their rights and privi-
leges. Is it not possible that the people
who do favor these restrictions are in
tent upon serving the war effort and
efnciently backing up their sons and
daughters on the fighting front?
In the Washington Street Methodist
Church of Alexandria, which is my
place of worship, an honor roll bears
the names Of approximately $50 young
men and women who are serving the
country In the Army, Navy and Marine
Corps. In many thousands of other
churches across the Nation there are
similar honor rolls bearing the names
OF hundreds of thousands of our young
people. In the air, on the land, on the
sea and under the sea, these men are
helping to write some of the most glori-
Gus pages in American military history.
They come from homes where they have
been taught that abstinence from al
cohol Is the better way of life and a
service to God and country Despite
the fact that the dry areas of the coun-
try have contributed far more volun-
teers in proportion to the population
than other areas, those who naively i'm
ply that any opposition to alcohol is
tho
blandly assume that only their sons
are fighting, that only men from wet
homes are In the Army and Navy, and
that all the men in uniform are of one
way OF thinking. What is more, they
by intimating that they are willing to
wrong their own sons
1t is difficult to avoid the conclusion
that an effort is being made by eco
nomically or politically interested per-
sons to ALLEVIATE the soldiers, sailors and
marines from dry homes from their
own parents and from the teachings
OF their churches and the customs of
their environment. No one, wet or dry,
no matter what his opinion may be on
any question whatever, has a right to
capitalize on the love which everybody
IN the country feels for the men in
the armed forces Nor do they have
right to carry over" the prestige of
the Army, Navy and Marine Corps to
any political cause or trafic for profit.
have no responsibility whatever for
legislation and have not had for IS
years. l propose nothing; but I do be-
lieve that it is not unreasonable to con-
slider the effect of the production and
distribution of intoxicants upon the
war effort. Those who want unrestricted
distribution of liquor should not at
tempt to hide behind the soldiers tunic
nor should they impugn the motives or
purpose Of those who believe that eff
cheney in war calls for less drink caused
absenteeism, waste, crime and disaster.
Too many millions of men in uniform
will remember that their own fathers,
mothers and other loved ones share
these dry opinions to be favorably
Impressed with slurs upon them.
William Allen White, the Sage of
Empor1a, expressed the deep feeling of
many thoughtful people, when he said:
Ration food If you will. Ration coffee.
Freeze the price of milk Put farmer
IN jail for selling the hind quarter of
beef killed in his own feed lot. Do any,
thing in the wide world, under the star
spangled dome Of Heaven, to win this
war. But If you touch liquor, you are
just a wall-eyed, crepe-hanging fanatic.
DEETS PICKETT.