s the settled and
unalterable policy of the United States of America. During a visit of
three months, and after inquiries in several cities, I never met a
single person who wanted the saloon again reopened in the States.
Whatever criticism might be made, there was among everybody only one
sentiment regarding the saloon--and that was thankfulness that it was
closed for ever.

III

There are, however, those who desire the Volstead law defining alcohol
amended so that the sale of beer and light wines may be permitted in
restaurants with meals. To us that seems reasonable; but there is no
chance of such a policy being adopted. The reason is that these
experiments have already been made in the States and have been found
unworkable and unsatisfactory. The settled policy of the reformers in
the States is to seal up the sources of drunkenness. Every drunkard
began as a moderate drinker; and the evil has to be stayed at its
source. Mr. Bryan described the process dramatically: 'The moderate
drinker says every man should stop when he has had enough. But the
difficulty is to know when one has had enough, for enough is a horizon
that recedes as one approaches it. A frail brother was advised by a
friend to drink a glass of sarsaparilla when he had had enough.
"That's right," was the reply, "but when I have had enough I cannot say
sarsaparilla!"' The prevailing opinion among the Church and social
leaders is that the liquor trade as it was conducted in America could
not be mended, and that it had to be ended. And it was ended. Having
been ended, there is no possibility of its being amended!

IV

It is one thing to legislate and another to make that legislation
effective. We know that by experience in this country. It took long
years to make the laws against smuggling operative in this country; and
it was only after Queen Victoria's accession that the laws abolishing
slavery in the British Empire, passed in a previous reign, were made
operative. In the States the stage of legislation regarding alcohol is
past, and the stage of making the legislation effective has come. The
difficulty of making Prohibition operative is great, but the difficulty
is being steadily overcome. No law that ever was made has been fully
successful: otherwise there would be no theft and no murder in a
perfect world. In one State--Detroit--it is said that five thousand
automobiles are stolen every year, but nobody ever suggested that the