December, 1940
TH E K I N G ’ S BU S I N E S S
454
That French army a decade ago was the best army in the world; and if the present regulations with respect to drinking had been in vogue tile past ten or twelve years, there would have been a different tale about liberty-loving France. “Today France has banished all liquors having more than sixteen per cent alcoholic content—and dur ing three days of the week absolute prohibition. All this was the re sult of a military commission of experts reporting that alcohol had caused the collapse of the proud army of France.” AMENDMENT TO PREPAREDNESS: • After pointing out the “lesson of France,” Congressman Guyer offered an amendment to the Third Supple mental National-Defense Appropriation. It provided that ho funds set aside for national defense and the training of the army should be available “for ex penditure for the operation and main tenance of facilities where intoxicating beverages are sold or dispensed.” Speaking in fhvor of this amend ment, Congressman Guyer declared: “The military leaders of the United States can read a lesson in the story of defeated France., With the recent development of mechan ized and aerial warfare, total ab stinence becomes a military neces sity. “This amendment suggests that we do not wait, like conquered France, until the war is over to adopt a system for a sober army, but begin now as a necessary policy of the army. This will conserve the health, wealth, and morals of the young men of the nation. . . . Put only sober generalii, sober soldiers, and sober pilots on guard.” The amendment was defeated by a [ Continued on FageA(A\ A Newspaperman’ s Testim ony Popular appreciation has demanded' the annual reprinting in the CHICAGO DAILY NEWS of the cartoon shown on this page. The artist, Vaughn Shoe maker, is staff cartoonist for this large metropolitan newspaper. Known for win ning the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 with his Armistice Day drawing, “The Road Back,” he has also the reputation of be ing a stanch witness for the Lord Jesus Christ, not only through many of his newspaper cartoons, but in Chicago’s business world as well. “It is not diffi cult to bear testimony for the Lord even in the business world,” he declares, “but it is essential that one take his stand and make his position known. There is only misery in store for the Christian who attempts to conceal his testimony, and humiliation and loss for the Chris tian who Is on the fence.”
Significance of the News By D A N G ILBERT Washington, D. C., and San Diego, California
French army. It was saturated with alcohol; You could not expect it to win. "After t h e surrender of the French army a n d the ghost of France set up at Vichy, General Petain has imposed upon the most bibulous people on earth a regime of prohibition by which, if insti tuted twenty years ago, the great debacle in northern France and Belgium would neyer have occurred.
DRINK AND. DEBACLE: ♦ The collapse of France will, perhaps, always be a subject for deeper investi gation by historians. Many factors, doubtless, played a part. U. S. Guyer, representative from Kansas, has pointed out the relationship between drink and debacle in,France: “I call attention to the fact that the Vichy Government has placed alcoholism as one of the main reasons for the collapse of the
Copyright, 1934. Used by permission of the Chicago Daily Jiews.
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