LIQUOR QUESTION IN FRANCE '

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 278, 20 August 1919, Page 7

LIQUOR QUESTION IN FRANCE '

A PROHIBITION MOVEMENT

AMERICA'S EXAMPLE

It is, of course, inevitable that thoughtful peopio in Trance and perhaps many others who may not Lb so much thoughtful as materially interested, should be keenly attracted to tho struggle that has been proceeding in the United States on the question of "wet" or "dry" (states the Paris correspondent of the ''Christian Sciene Monitor"). The American model, in general, has a great attraction for France In these days. It i 6. no doubt, 1 regarded as much less practicable for general application in Latin countries than it was in the early davs of enthusiasm, with the American entry into the war and the Americans talcing possession of French ports, and various inland constructions, and quickly putting them to rights in the American way and from the war point of view. Prance has seen many things American in recent times which she thinks she .will not. and many others slie would.like to copy. AboTt all, with eo much leeway to make up, she recognises* that the most imperative demand upon her is a greater efficiency on the part of her people, her workers. At time she has appreciated the great efficiency of the Americans in lior midst, something hotter than she" had seen before, and she has carefully noted the limita- J tions placed upon Americans in tho matter of what are euphemistically termed refreshments. Franco would need to be far more, stupid than she is if she did not recognise how great an obstacle alcohol is to efficiency.

Changed Attitude to Drink. The fact is recognised, and at this moment various very responsible persons are referring to alcohol in overy form as "tho curse of the country" in a wav that they would not have done five years ago—might not have dared to do—and such bodies as the National Leaguo Against Alcohol are working strenuously for their object. But when the question is plainly put to one interested in- this French movement and in close sympathy with it as to how far France might possibly be ablo to follow the American example towards absolute dryness, the answer, even from' an optimist, is that it cannot be done in this generation. And special reasons are given for this, tho first being that France is older than tho United States, has her habits fastened rnoTe firmly, like veritable traditions, is less inclined to new enthusiasms, whatever their quality; that again a large part of her country and its people ore devoted to wine-grow-ing and have been so for many centuries that again there a,re the vested interests which will be most difficult to shako; that in the way of human weakness and error tho American example and all its efficiency makes less appeal to France now than it did two years ago. That, again, in the same lamentable, but poor human way, it is to be feared that ideals have slumped somewhat in victory and that, with the idea of enjoyment for tho , moment, there is a strong tendency to revert to old, bad ways.

\ In this matter, as in so many others, the Government adopting . policies, of mere expediency in tho war, forced on by what appeared recessities, has placed itself in a difficult position for leform and is now assailed with domands for tho lessening of restrictions. However, these aro but fleeting aspects of a question that is vitally great to a Franco that would leap to a higher greatness, and they represent the views of somo of the careful students of tho problem and workers in it associated with such movements and organisations as have been named.

Private Interests Manifest, In the Chamber the question comes up fitfully, and rarely, for any protracted and practical discussion. The Socialists say that Parliament always takes up tho alcohol question when 'it has 'nothing else on hand, and never at any other time. The private interests are very manifest in tne Chamber. Moreover, it appears that whenever this question is taken up in tiho Chamber in any form, a singular capacity or tendency' toward is manifest. A striking example of this tendency has,just been furnished. The Bill for the temporary regime of alcohol, as it has been called, the simple object of which is to get riu in the best and safest way of the largo stocks of industrial alcrihol that tho State accumulated in tho war, has again boen before the Chamber, and lias for the time being made n somewhat ignominious departure therefrom.

The Bill was never a masterpieco of I proposed legislation, but a badly conceived, badly drafted, thing of which it would be flattering to say even flhat it was better than nothing. It has been properly condemned by -wiso and discriminating authorities, newspaper and otherwise, but it is porsisteS in. While protending that its object was to direct all its supplies toward industrial purposes, pure and simple, of such alcohol as is called industrial, it threatens to turn quantities of it in tho drinking direction, so that thus tho State would be directly favouring intemperance. However, discussion upon the first article of tho new Bill had hardly begun in the Chamber than a deputy roso to point out that n governmental decreo which had been recently issued authorised the Jianufacturo of alcohol from figs, dates, carob beans, and dried fruits of any origin. This point, which seemed to have been largely overlooked beforehand, caused some astonishment, for it was inade to appear to those who are in favour the severe limitation of tho consumption of alcohol that it is not enough, for the State to put into eiroulaUion some 30,000,000 litres of alcohol from the stocks in hand, but that hero it was favouring the.manufacture of alcohol by other means and, as it was declared, thus becoming "a propagator of intemporance." At the same time that it forbade tho importation of natural alcohols from the colonies it left the way open for the manufacture of 8100*1101 from- dried fruit, wherever the latter might come' from, even, from abroad. The- question at once arose as to whether figs and other .fruits in Franco wero contemplated by this order, and if so, why, instead of making alcohol from them,_ should thoy not be used for food; and it was asked if Franco at this moment was so very rich in food products that she could afford to .transform some of them into alcohol.

Government's Bad Bargain, When the matter was put in this way to tho Chamber it was evidently muoli stirred, insisted upon investigation, and in the middle of a sitting was suspended, wliilo the Minister of Agriculture, who had signed _ t-lie deoree. was asked for an explanation. The latter was produced in duo course, and itself created some further surprise. Tho Minister said that there were stoclrs oi figs and carob beans, which wero rogarded as being a fair substitute for oats in tho foeding of animals, and which wero" decaying on - the wharves -of French ports and in. the storehouses, that these products could not bo used without dan?er to either human or animal consumpion, and that in order to avoid a total loss on tho goods it had beon considered in effect that the best, thing to do would be to convert a bad bargain into a bad use and throw this now -alcohol into the country! That was plainly tho effect of lio deoree which authorised tho distillation of those condemned products. The "Temps" is the strongest advocate of the limitation of alcohol in France, but nevertheless it views with a. little anprehonsion the American decision, saying that America is going to lie a total abstainer, ar.il Mahomet, himself was scarcely more rigorous. It says that tlio movement, of courso, is not directed against Franco, but that, nevertheless, France must be Hie greatest 6u''.'erer, since ono of tho best products of French soil must bo banished from the cities of the United fitatos if the decision is to be carried ; through.

Lord French, speaking at tho Soldiors' Central Club, Dublin, said: "It fills me with sorrow and regret to 'bo obliged to emphas ! so tho fact that in Ireland, and especially in Dublin, the unreasoning animosity of a small portion of the community towards any rotnrned soldier lays an additional burden upon all the loyal population in counteracting this sinister and unworthy influonco I insist that this is a, ma'ter into whioh politics Should net fenros iil."-