THE HYPOCRISY OF IT.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 September 1922, Page 6

THE HYPOCRISY OF IT.

“THE LAUGHING STOCK OF THE • * WORLD.” “PUSSYFOOT” JOHNSON IS MAD WITH U.S.A. Mr. W. D. Lysnar, M.P.: House of Representatives, September 6. —“Pussyfoot” Johnson ought to have been prevented from landing in New Zealand. He ought to be back in America helping to lessen the evils that have grown out of the iniquity of prohibition.” Mr. “Pussyfoot” Johnson delivered an address last night, but he did not say anything that was new. It was a large and curious audience—critical and unresponsive. Dr. Mary Armour told us that prohibition did not prohibit in America, and Mr. “Pussyfoot” Johnson confirmed Dr. Armour’s assertion and backed it up with statistics. But Mr. “Pussyfoot” Johnson blames the American Government. His phrase is “The American Government is a set of hypocrites.” Why does he say this? The American Government owns ships. They are under the control of the Shipping Board. Their chairman is Mr. Albert Lasker. This geptleman has told President Harding th’at the U.S.A, mercantile marine must sell intoxicating liquors on board the American vessels “because without it there would be no hope of competing for American tourist trade with foreign lines.”—The Times, London, June 16, 1922. The Daily Telegraph reporter asked Mr. “Pussyfoot” Johnson why, as an American citizen and patriot, he was not travelling on British ships with open bars? Mr. “Pussyfoot” Johnson told the reporter.— No, sir, I won’t ever consider sailing on one of those damned boot-leg scows. It makes me mad when I am in Europe to read Continental newspapers advertising American ships full of booze at popular prices. That’s the hypocrisy of America and prohibition America. So Mr. “Pussyfoot” Johnson sailed in a British ship with an open bar, preferring the open bar to the “damned bootleg scow” of America. “THE LAUGHING-STOCK OF THE WORLD.” When the American authorities wink at their mercantile marine conducting a sly-grog- business on sea, is it any wonder that the American Government is also winking at the enormous slygrog business that is being carried on in the United States? Prohibition in America is proved to be a farce by Mr. “Pussyfoot” Johnson, because the same authority, the Daily Telegraph (June 22, 1922), tells how “Pussyfoot” Johnson said “America is having one law for the land and another for .the sea. As things are, we are the laughing-stock of the world, and everybody knows it.” THE EVILS OF PROHIBITION. We do not need Mr. “Pussyfoot” Johnson in this country to tell us what is going on in America. Our own newspapers tell us more, and that, too, unbiased. WOOD ALCOHOL IN AMERICA. AN ALARMING POSITION. (Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.) (Rec. September 7, 7.55 p.m.) . New York, 'September 6. Eight,men and women died during the last three days from drinking wood alcohol whiskey, all of which was bought from the same surreptitious seller who is believed to be a woman, the owner of a small restaurant. A number of persons have gone blind, and others are seriously ill. The police believe that the death list will grow since a great quantity of the poisoned liquor has been distributed from one source in Milwaukee. (Received September 7, 9 p.m.) New York, September 6. Another death from wood alcohol poisoning is recorded. That is going on every day and all the time under prohibition. It is supposed to have stopped drunkenness and drinking, but it has admitted the seven devils of wood alcohol, moonshine, and worse evils. A STRIKING COMPARISON. Prohibitionists say, of course, that cablegrams are not * to be believed unless they are favorable to prohibition. It was the design and intention of Mr. “Pussyfoot” Johnson to prove that prohibition was a great success in America, and that there was now no drunkenness in America, and that there was less crime and less work for the police accordingly. The reverse is the truth. Mr. P. G. Jones, secretary of the Police Department of the City of New* York (May 12, 1922), makes this statement:— TOTAL ARRESTS ALL CLASSIFICATIONS. Two Years Before Prohibition. 1917. 1918. Arrests 187,613 170,159 Two Years Under Prohibition. 1920. 1921. Arrests 226,749 272,751 As to the increased expense of the police which were to be abolished under prohibition altogether—because prohibition is the millennium—the District Attorney for the/ county of New York gives the following figures:— Two Years Before Prohibition. 1916 17.617.257 dollars. 1917 18,200.192 dollars. Two Years After Prohibition. 1919 20,662.219 dollars. 1920 24,595,187 dollars. And it is said there is no crime wave and the gaols are empty in America, as the result 7 of prohibition, but the perpetrators of the Herrin Massacre, which took place two months ago have not yet been all arraigned at the bar of American justice. Talk about mosquitos and the flashing of numerous testimonials from biased authorities will not get over the facts of the officials themselves. HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF THIS. A great deal was absent from Mr. “Pussyfoot” Johnson’s talk, but that was doubtless due to his being an American and an utter stranger in this country. The Prohibition Party would

leave him ignorant of facts that materially affect the welfare of this country. Mr. Johnson would not of course tell his audience that New Zealand had suffered a fall in revenue of six and ahalf millions sterling, with a prospect of a further fall in revenue of two millions. If electors take the advice of prohibitionists in this country, there will be a further loss of two and a-half millions annually in the voluntary taxation paid by the people through the liquor duties, so that New Zealand financially will be worse off by at least eleven millions sterling if prohibition is carried. And the Prime Minister himself has said: “I want every penny T can get in order that this country shall be able to pay its way.” PROHIBITION IS TYRANNY. Mr. “Pussyfoot” .Johnson did not tell his hearers what had taken place in /America after the carrying of prohibition. He did not tell how the number of Judges had been increased; how the enforcement agents of prohibition was a great army, and half the police ’of Chicago were engaged in the illicit traffic of moonshining. If you do not vote for continuance your house will be subject to search without warrant under prohibition law, at any hour of the day or night, and if any liquor is found in your house the occupier will be liable a fine of one hundred pounds for the -«vc+’ offence. Is that a position you ,?.-.sire. to arise? Prohibition would destroy the Britisher’s freedom of. his own house. LOOK ON THAT PICTURE AND ON THIS. In America there is lawlessness and disrespect for law under prohibition. They have .‘losed the saloon—not the hotel as we know in New Zealand—and opened their doors to many evils hitherto unknown. In New Zealand all forms of serious crime have decreased. We are law abiding without prohibition. There is no valid reason—and Mr. “Pussyfoot” Johnson offered none las* ■ night—why we. in this Dominion, should ' give so injurious, destructive, and dam- I aging a policy a trial, especially when its trial in America has resulted so disastrously to the United States. I Clean living, honorable conduct, and patriotism demand that New Zealanders give no heed to fancy foreign importations. Mr. “Pussyfoot” Johnson cuts no ice. (Published by arrangement.)