[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—In the article on
" American Youth and Prohibition," which appeared in your issue of July 14th, the statement
is made " that there has been more drinking in our colleges and univer- sities and, indeed, in our High Schools, since Prohibition than ever before is an unquestioned fact. In this respect, Prohibition worked better in its first year than it has since."
To say " than ever before " would be going back a good many years. The writer on this well-written article may be out of college too recently to make it fair to criticize this statement. If a personal experience proves anything, I graduated from an American college fifteen years ago, suc- ceeded by three years' graduate work in an American
University, succeeded by ten years' law practice, and for the past two years have been a college professor and chairman
of a faculty committee on student activities, with ample opportunity to observe college men and to talk with them in confidence.
My observation is that at no time since Prohibition has there been as much drinking by college men as fifteen years ago ; that soon after Prohibition drinking by college men became excessive ; that this continued for some time as a natural final fling ; and that, above all, during the past year the American college man has definitely turned the corner and is drinking less than ever before.
This is borne out not only by personal observation, but by the definite voluntary stand against the use of intoxicants taken by student organizations in several American colleges and enforced by their own members. Moreover, I have faith that the American college man will not stand in the way of a great movement of his people.—I am, Sir, &c.,
MILLER D. STEEVEB.
Lafayette College, Easton, Pa., U.S.A.
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