King's Business - 1918-08

THE K I NG ' S BUS I NESS 643 brought a seriousness, a deep thoughtfulness concerning God and eternity into the lives of many who a year or two ago had as their ruling motto “ let us eat, drink and be merry.’ 1 As much as we detest war, as much as we abhor the moral monster who is responsible for this war, nevertheless, when we see with our own eyes some of the things this war has wrought we feel like thanking God that He ever permitted this war to come and for the way in which He has brought good out of it.

K A ISER BILL and Kaiser Beer President Wilson is not at all daunted by the power and by the threatenings and the bravado of Kaiser Wilhelm II. He has answered his threatenings in a fearless and masterly way. But he does not seem to present the same bold front to another Imperator, Beer. He and his chosen and honored representative, Mr. Hoover, have been making almost frantic appeals to rich and poor to conserve food and especially cereals. The country has been plastered over at great expense by the government with placards declaring that “ food will win the war,” but when President Wilson and Mr. Hoover are confronted with the fact that they are themselves responsible for by far the greater and gravest waste of cereals, espec­ ially barley (one of the most valuable substitutes for wheat), they reply by argu­ ments that are pitiful in their inconsistency and puerility. They say if the people want prohibition of the manufacture of beer they must themselves vote it. But when it comes to the conservation of sugar by the limitation of the manufacture of candy they never hint if the people want sugar conserved by the prohibition or limitation of the manufacture of candy they must themselves vote the prohibition or limitation of the manufacture of candy. Why is the manufacture of beer so sacred in the eyes of President Wilson that it stands alone in these days of pro­ hibiting various forms of waste. President Wilson and Mr. Hoover say again that they are “ unwilling to be responsible for the orgy of drunkenness” that would inevitably result in this country if the manufacture of beer was prohibited in this country while there is so much whiskey and other spirituous liquors remaining in it. Of course, that is forciful; but even if it were true and if Mr. Wilson really believes it, why does he not use the power he has to conscript all the whiskey for the government’s need of alcohol in the manufacture of munitions or prohibit its sale. Furthermore, why does he not tell England that we will ship them no more wheat or other cereals until they stop squandering their own wheat and other cereals in the manufacture of whiskey and other strong drink? Why should Americans be asked to stint themselves seriously in cereal foods to supply the lack of cereals in England caused by their own permiscous waste of their own cereals fn the manufacture of booze? Why should we go without food that England may have booze? This tomfoolery should have been stopped years ago and there would have been no such serious shortage of cereals as there is among the Allies today. The manufacture of booze is at the bottom of it. The manufacture of beer causes not only an enormous waste of cereals, but of coal (of which there is a very serious shortage) and of man power which is the most serious shortage of all. Release the many thousands of men engaged in the manufacture of beer to work our farms where there are so many needed. We are making men give up running elevators, clerking in stores and other positions where they are not absolutely needed to engage in more productive and more necessary industry. Why not

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