Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-06-07
Letters to The Star
Suggestions on What to Do About
the Alcoholism Problem

the Alcoholism Problem
To the Editor OF The Star:
Last Sundays Star contained a fine
article on the problem of alcoholism in
the District by Jesse c. Suter, who said
that nothing whatever is being done by
legislation or local regulation to dis
courage the use of alcoholic beverages"
I wish to remind Mr.. Suter that any
relief from the flood of alcohol now in
undating the District must come from
Congress. There are several bills pend
ing IN Congress that would help dis
courage the widespread use of alcoholic
beverages
There should be speedy enactment of
the bill introduced by Representative
F.. Edward Hebert to establish scien-
tific tests for intoxication OF persons
accused of drunken driving and make
the results Of such tests Admissible in
evidence" in District courts. The meas
ure provides for tests of all auto drivers
becoming involved in accidents. This
is the only fair procedure to follow. If
driver was not drinking, the test will
let him go free, but the drinking driver
will be promptly apprehended.
Surely the time is ripe for denying the
liquor business the further use of adver-
Using media for promoting public desire
for and purchase of their projects. Sena-
tors Arthur Capper and Edwin C. john
son have introduced good bills in Con-
gress to stop or put restrictions on
alcoholic beverage advertising in inter-
state commerce and over the air.
DIR. j. RAYMOND SCHMIDT,
Superintendent, National Civic League.
To the Editor of The Star:
am writing in response to the article
in The Sunday Star of June by Jesse
c.. Suter and captioned: Call for Pub
lie Attention to Alcoholism Problem" I
do not consider the article as purposed
to advocate return to prohibition but
rather as an honest attempt to examine
the facts under system of legal dis
tribution of alcoholic beverages and
the effect of such a system on the
chronic alcoholic" Prohibition did not
prohibit. The chronic alcoholic was as
much problem during prohibition as
he is today. He is as much a problem
in the dry State Of Kansas as he Is in
the wet State of New York.
There are those within the beverage
industry who know the value of pre-
vention," as well as the value of "cure."
Here, and in our midst, there are some
within the beverage industry who have
taken the forefront in urging amend
ments, botn to the legislation and the
gulations, which would serve to les
sen the inducements to buy alcoholic
beverages and to promote moderation
in their use.
I need cite only few of the contri-
buttons OF this group-the elimination
OF the use of circulars; the curtailment
In the size OF signs; the elimination of
flashing signs; the restriction in the
lighting Of signs during hours when al
cohplic beverages may not be sold: the
Shortening of the hours during which
packaged goods may be sold. etc.
All these restrictions were recon-.
mended by some within the industry as
a species Of preventive medicine" and
as step toward moderation. There
were other suggestions made toward the
same end which were not sufficiently
WIDELY supported to obtain approval by
congress or by the ABC Board. Such
suggestions included an increase from
4oo to 800 feet in the distance from
schools and churches to licensed
places, and a prohibition against the
use of prices in advertising.
Ihls group will continue to work for
nglo enforcement Of the beverage
ia"s oy constituted authority.
MILTON s. KRoNHE1M.
Speaks Out for Tea Drinking
To thu Editor Of The Star:
Inc author of Life Begins at Forty"
STATES IN his new book: I'VE all know
the clever little men who sit in Holly.
WOOD ana see to it that the actors and
actresses smoke the right number of
cigarettes per reel and drink the right
number Of glasses Of booze per Aim tn
satisfy the manufacturer advertising
agents, who kick in a neat sum an.
nually.'
pernaps the liquor agents also paw to
ridlcule the institution of afternoon tea
and the people who take that mild bev-
erage served with fine china, carved
silver and intelligent conversation. A
modernistic movie displays people at
afternoon tea as old-fashioned prissies,
ultraconsservative, grinding the poor and
with not new idea since 1900.
AS remember it, however, the heroic
Gen. Wingate's men drank tea the
tough Russians love it, and the desert
nghters near Damascus had it every
afternoon. The steel workers of Eng
land door did-stop every afternoon
nor about 10 minutes for tea. never
heard that any of these were yeaklinp
or old fashioned.
Boston. GRACE RIx GORDON
Opposes Taxing Coal