BONE DRY

Evening Star, Issue 17087, 4 July 1919, Page 6

BONE DRY

PROHIBITION IN AMERICA. HINTS OF MODIFICATION. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Delayed in Transmission.) NEW YORK, June 29. .-.. The 'New York TimesV Washington correspondent says that the State Department has issued a .statement cabled by President Wilson skying that he is unable to repeal -wartime "prohibition until demobilisation is completed. July 2. (Received July 4, at 8.55 a.m.) Nation-wide Prohibition went into effect as a waT measure on July 1. It is, however, likely that light wines and non-in-toxidxting beer will bo permitted to be sold. National Prohibition by the Federal Amendment will bo effective as from 16th January, 1920. HISTORY OF THE CHANGE. In view of somo confusion of thought which appears to exist over " Bone-dry" America, and how this was achieved, the following facts may be stated: It is about 18 months since the distilling of whisky was stopped in the United States. On December 1, 1918, the brewing of beer oamo to an end by Presidential edict-. Ten davs before this tho President sicmed the Fooii Stimulation Bill, carrying tho Sheppard amendment, Tinder whioi the American nation was to go dry on the last day of June, 1919. These were war emergency measures. But the extraordinary action of the State Legislatures, leading "to the Prohibition proclamation in Washington on January 29, 1919, though doubtless quickened by the war, was of a different order. It was the fulfilment of a campaign carried on for a quarter of a century. It produced tho Eighteenth Amendment to that sacred instrument of government, the Constitution of the United States. And section I. of tho Eighteenth Amendment roads as follows: After one year from the ratification of this article "the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating _ liquors within, tlio importation thereot into, or the exportation thereof from the United States aawi oH territory stibjoot "to- tAie jurisdiction thereof iov beverage purposes ia hereby prohibited. One rear from the ratification is January 16, iS2O, after which date the United States, from coast to coast and from the Canadian border to the Rio Gitinde, is to be bone-dry. Not the lea-st amazing thing about the Prohibition victory was the avalanche of the concluding stage. The Congress which oamo irsto existence in 1917 adopted the federal amendment for National Prohibition. Tho decision was not unexpected, although the general public did not look for so easy a triumph in Washington. During 1918 "the movement gathered its astonishing momentum. By the end of the year 31 States were already dry, while in the whole country there were only 351 wet counties, as against 2,546 counties dry by Local Option or State legislation". When Congress had by a two-thirds majority passed the federal amendment, it required ratification by three-fourths of the State Legislatures, which number 43. Fifteen approved it during 1918. __ The_ remainder began voting at the New Year, and the observer won 1:1 have said that, aetho end came in sight, there was a lively race between the Stites for the honor of being thirty-sixth—that is, the one to complete the three-fourths majority. The coveted place was secured by Nebraska on January 16. Thereupon mret of the remaining 12, whose votes were no longer required, displayed a proper eagerness to "come in out of the- wet.'' Their Legislatures, apparently, were thinking that, since the continent was going dry, it would not do to go down to history as impenitent. There weTo some curiosities, if not anomalies, in tho ratification, vaiaj States which had rejected State Prohibition favoring National Prohibition by approving the federal amendment. California, which has a big wine industry, rejected Prohibition on a referendum, but elected a State Legislature which approved the federal amendment. It may be remembered that President Wilson, wl.en in Europe, sent a message to the new Congress advising a modification of National Prohibition by permitting the manufacture, sale, and use of light wines and beers. BRITISH BEER. MORE AND STRONGER. "LONDON, July a. Mr Bonar Law announced in the House of Cummons that unlimited brewing would be permitted, andi the specifio gravity of beer raised four degrees in each .grade.