Show LADY ASTOR IS READY TO GIVE BOOZE BATTLE Speaks Freely of Her Views on Liquor Questions s II Others Are Silent I International N News Sm Service London Jan 3 Though Though fc few BritIsh British Brit Brit- ish politicians have lUlye dared to speak out on tho liquor question in these Islands is Is- Is I I lands Lady Astor Asto- with typical American Amen Ameri AmenI I 1 can spunk has made known n her thoughts quite treel freely I ISo So long IonS as drink is sold says I Lady Astor it should bo be our aim to to let it do llo as little damage as possible i but wo we cannot expect men whose livelihood live- live i I depends up upon m the successful Cul expansion of their business not to I push their wares Though the j Ins lus of at private gain ain be In the production production I tion and distribution of or other commodities commodities com corn it Is wholly out of or place In relation to alcohol The people in each district too should hould have havo tho the opportunity of ot deciding deciding ing ins without the confusion and cro crosscurrents cross crots s I currents of ot general politics whether the tho sale salo of drink is to continue I go I further and would give them the option op- op opI I tion of or deciding between public and I private ownership within their area arca Hostility Hostility- of L Lender Advocates of or such a policy however however how how- ever cyer have havo to reckon not so bo much with tho conservatism of the public nor with the opposition of oC tho the more short sl sighted short members of at the trade I braced by b three years of ot unprecedented prosperity fl as with the 1 blind and a a. a I shall show un unscrupulous hostility of ot some of or the leaders of ot tho the temperance societies These organizations decline to recognize new factors such for In Instance Instance Instance In- In stance as the 1904 1901 licensing act which ree recognized the right to compensation where a licensed holder was dispossessed the tho without having infringed ed law Every student of or realities knows that national prohibition is not practical practical I polities polities' I in this country at t this l moment particularly when It Is coupled with a determination to break breal up the trade trado without consideration or com corn No o one needs marvel that the British British Brit Brit- ish temperance movement has hns achieved such insignificant results hitherto and that today many of or its leaders lenders are still stil out of ot all touch with the spirit of thin Uti era which Is practical and progressive The war has left leU behind It an Impatience impatience tience of or talk taUt and of or tho the out date labels and battle cries of ot unsuccessful associations whether political or so so- so cial hungry for Rc Result The war has made macIc us hungry for results It has also bequeathed to usa us usa usa a new chapter In liquor control Ar Artho Are Arc tho the rank ranle and arid file tile of or tho the temperance movement mo content that their officials should continue continuo to drone what the they know to bo an immediately impracticable doctrine and thwart every avery attempt at attempt at- at t- t tempt at achievable reform My experience at Plymouth during tho recent cle b-cle election by-election is Instructive I Because I coupled together local option option op option op- op op- op tion and state purchase I was turned down b by the called so-called temperance bodies yet et I have ha been threatened at atthe tho the beginning of the con contest test with the tho opposition of an independent candidate candidate candi candi- date because causo of m my well known desIr reform I was not only excommunicated b bythe by bythe the United Kingdom alliance and ond th the Federation of ot Temperance but as ac I havo have shown in the tho local lo local local lo- lo cal Plymouth papers m my replies were werd suppressed and inaccurately paraphrased paraphrased paraphrased para para- phrased while whilo In one case caso my m opponent opponent opponent nent was supported in spite of ot his hig advocacy advocacy advocacy ad ad- o of state purchase because his political label pleased the tho official of ot ofa ota a so-called so temperance federation Temperance I The connection with drink reform is indeed hard to see in all this Rather wo we may observe the characteristic procedure of ot tho the cal caucus the caucus tho uso of the tho temperance e votes shall be cast for tor a political party part whatever tho the temperance issue S I |