AMERICAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS REJOICE OVER PROHIBITION.

White Ribbon, Volume 26, Issue 305, 18 November 1920, Page 5

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS REJOICE OVER PROHIBITION.

CLAIM MUCH CREDIT FOR THE VICTORY. January 16, 1920, brought much rejoicing among University students in America. Most of them had desired Prohibition. They had given money to secure it, they had worked for it, and all who could do so had voted for it. Hence they were happy over the result. It had not always been so. Twenty years earlier. University students had not generally favoured legal prohibit tion. Most of them were total abstainers, and many wished to eliminate the saloon in their home communities, but they were not yet converted to State or national prohibition. In some schools, drinking customs were prevalent. and the “beer bust” quite popular. The change was largely effected by the Intercollegiate Prohibition Association. organised in 1900 by students, and maintained always as a student organisation, entirely separate from other antialcohol societies. Its purpose was to secure unbiassed study of alcoholism and of the liquor traffic by students. “Study the problem for yourself, form your own conclusions, and then act.” was the slogan. (Jiving each man the right to think through for himself, it then laid upon his conscience the moral obligation to apply his conclusion. In twenty years the organisation became the largest student civic movement in the world, with local societies in most of the colleges and universities of the United States. Its trained secretaries reached 100,000 students annually. An oratorical contest system caused the writing of 10.000 orations and their delivery before 3,000.000 people. Emphasis on study induced 100 institutions to present accredited study courses on th<* liquor problem, and 125 more to arrange volunteer study classes. Series of study topics, text books, a strong student magazine, and other anti-liquor literature were prepared and published. Hundreds of prohibition lecture courses were conducted in the universities by national leaders. Journalistic contests secured the publication of great masses of original mutt rial. As many as 2000 students served in local prohibition campaigns in a single year. Drinking customs in colleges were investigated and fought.

Hundreds of petitions and thousands of letters were sent to legislators. A spirit of co-operation was spread among the other temperance organisations, and united work was initiated. A number of leaders were furnished to the various anti-alcohol societies, and a great multitude of public leaders were informed and stimulated for leadership in their own walks of life. The IP.A. was “The Training School of the anti-liquor reform.” In its National Convention. January 1920, the Association completely reorganised for new methods necessitated by the victory. The work in America will be continued until prohibition becomes an accomplished fact in the social life of the nation. law enforcement will be stressed. A careful survey of the results of prohibition will be made and published. All efforts to weaken the prohibition law will be vigorously fought. Numerous appeals for aid received from student anti-alcohol organisations in other nations were considered. These appeals stated that the proved methods and trained personnel of the I.P.A. can l>e of great assistance that the story of l»e of great assistance, that the story of hibition will inspire other students, and that the presentation of the results of \merican prohibition will advance the r< form. The Association voted to answer these appeals, and to place itself at the service of students all over the world. It was emphatically agreed to offer assistance only where invited by university leaders. Mr Harry S. Warner, CJeneral Secretary of the I.P.A. for twenty years, will travel in Europe this spring and suminn' for study of the alcohol situation, lie will visit many of the universities, and will return to America the last of the year. Mr Warner is widely known in America as one of the best authorities on alcoholism, his book. “Social Welfare and the Liquor Problem,” having been used as a text book in hundreds of colleges and universities. He has made a long study of alcoholism and the liquor traffic, especially in their relations to other social problems. His European trip will enable him to gain a wider viewpoint of their world aspects.