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THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NESS order that-all, men, and women too, cease the manufacture of beer to enter upon lines of productive activity when they are so sorely needed. What is there so sacred about beer in the eyes of Mr. Wilson that this industry should be so coddled, when every one knows that at the very best, beer is useless? Why was it last winter that while important industries were curtailed in their use of coal and cars, and thus so seriously crippled and sometimes nearly ruined, that breweries had all the coal and cars they needed? What is there so sacred about beer that it has a protection by various branches of the administration that other industries do not enjoy? Why is our President who is not afraid of Kaiser Wilhelm so afraid of Kaiser Beer? Mr. Wilson is also reported to have said that if the shortage of grains should become so serious as to necessitate the cessation of their use in the manufacture of beer he would prohibit it. Can it be then that there really is not that shortage of cereals that Mr. Hoover has so solemnly and so con stantly urged us that there was? There is that shortage and Mr. Wilson knows that there is and Mr. Hoover knows that there is. Why then waste and worse than waste barley in the manufacture of beer? Barley is a very valuable food, and even if it is not why not order farmers to use the land now used to raise barley to raise wheat? Good barley land is good wheat land. The worst part of this whole business is that it awakens in the hearts of hundreds of thousands of good people distrust of the entire sincerity of Mr. Wilson and Mr. Hoover. Thé President and the Food Administration greatly need at this time, and ought to have, the whole hearted confidence and support of all good people. But they haven’t and more because of their wobbling, and senseless defense of their wobbling, on the liquor question than anything else. The writer of this editorial heartily and very actively supported Mr. Wilson in both his presidential cam paigns and is still very glad he did. He believes that Mr. Wilson is one of the wisest and best, if not the very wisest and best, presidents we ever had. But his irrational course on the liquor question, his subserviency to the Beer Kaiser is a very big fly in the ointment that makes the ointment stink badly. We have found in urging men and women to go all the way in supporting Mr. Wilson and Mr. Hoover in their food conservation requests, that many good people object by saying “When Mr. Wilson and Mr. Hoover show that they really believe there is a perilous food shortage by stopping the worst of all waste of foodstuffs by permitting their manu facture into poisons and injurious drinks, then we will more heartily go without the wholesome things they ask us to give up, but we do not enjoy going without wholesome foods in order that Englishmen, and Americans too, may have booze.” We ought to support Mr. Wilson and Mr. Hoover anyhow but many good pepole will not heartily ’til they set their own houses in order.
SEV EN Beerless Days a Week—-Why Not? The papers announce this morning (June 20th) that Mr. Hoover urges us to have many beefless days a week. All right let us have them. Beef is a val uable food, but the army needs it: let the brave boys have it, we can get along without it. But why doesn’t Mr. Hoover urge us to have many beerless days, indeed to have all beerless days? There is a shortage, a very grave shortage, of grains. They are needed for food by our soldiers, our allies and ourselves. No
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