CHURCHES AND PROHIBITION.

Evening Star, Issue 19893, 15 June 1928, Page 11

CHURCHES AND PROHIBITION.

tO TUB EDITOESir, —It is quit© true that tho war would havo been over much sooner if tho Prohibitionists had their way. But the soldiers, who found what a helpful thing a tot of good rum in'the right time was, know in what direction the victory would have gone but for that good rum, and for the warm and lifegiving wine that stimulated tho brave French poilus. It ought not bo forfotteu that certain Prohibitionists tried to reward the soldiers who saved us by urging that tho referendum should be carried on apart from tho votes of the heroes still overseas or on the watei But tho honour of tho country would not stand such dastardly tactics, and as a result true liberty was saved by the men who won the war. It was not “ put across ” us as it was put over the Americans, who are paying dearly now for their whistle. Is it not dreadful to read o tho numbers _of people killed by motors in Prohibition America? What a iarcc it has become over there' The other day a Washington paper threatened to publish tho names of Prohibitionist Senators who persisted in coming drunk to tho House. A writer in tho ‘ Spectator ’ tells us that when ho asked how the “ dry ” Southern States would vote he was told that they would vote “ dry ” if they were sober enough to go to the polls. Another little point: Wine is wine in the sense that all history understands it. The wine of the Scripture was the wine that made Noah drunk, the wine that is referred to in tho “ Acts,” the wine that gladdens tho heart of man. 1 saw recently the assurance of a learned Jewish rabbi, who said that it was simplv laughable to say that the wine of the Bible was non-alcoholic. Imagine a man being told to take a little unfermonted grape juice for his stomach's sake! Martin Luther was not infallible, but surely his example is worth something to all good Protestants. And if the King for a short time set an example during tho war bv going “dry,” we know that ho found it was not a good thing to keep it up. Therefore, he went back for his stomach’s sake. But ’-jrhaps it was to unfermented grape juice ho returned.—l am, etc., Observer June 14.