BY JULIAN S. HUXLEY

IT is so hackneyed to write about Prohibition, and so hopeless ! It is like having to invent an answer to the New York reporter's invariable question after you have been one, two, or even three days on American soil, " Well, and what do you think about our American women ? "

There have been so many jokes made about it, mostly bad jokes ; there is such violent feeling on both sides ; it is so recent an experiment ; it is in force over so vast and so diversified an area. It seems impossible to arrive even at present Truth, while the future is inscrut- able ; and the pool of Prohibition wit is grown muddy and very low.

However, one can record a few facts and a few impressions. There are points of view to capture and tendencies to record.

The first thing needful is to remind English readers that American Prohibition is not confined to the United States. Time was, and not so long ago, that the entire.

North American demi-continent, with the one exception of the Province of Quebec, was (nominally) unprovided with alcohol. Since then, however, one province of Canada after another has repealed its dry laws in favour of State Control, until now Canadian Prohibition exists in Ontario alone ; and it exists in Ontario only by a narrow margin. Last October a Referendum of the province was taken on the question. The cities voted for repeal ; but they were just beaten by the country- folk.

Of course, the United States cannot dispose of the pro- blem by anything so simple as a Referendum. The water-wagon is now a part of her entail, her Crown Jewels, enshrined in the locked cabinet of her precious Constitution. For alteration, there must be an anti..

Prohibition majority in Congress, and then its decision must be ratified separately by the legislatures of two- thirds of the separate States.

The swing-back in Canada is significant. But there is a discount to be made. The presence of the United States' vast aridity to the South of her makes a wet policy very profitable. Press accounts of the Ontario Referendum stated that whereas the local bootleggery had in past contests been uniformly dry, they were now throwing their power and wealth on to the side of the Wets.

Or again, the great Chateau Fontenac hotel at Quebec has more than doubled its size since the coming of Pro- hibition in the U.S.A. It is within easy motoring distance of the frontier ; the week-end circulation of cars is enormous. The Province is financially on a sound basis ; taxes are low ; its roads are good—paved by thirsty U.S. citizens (whether with good intentions or no, I leave aside).

But it is Prohibition in the United States that chiefly interests us, for here it operates in a greater and more varied field and appears to be constitutionally chained on to the country's back for some considerable time to come.

Most people except those on the two opposed fanatical wings seem to be agreed on various points. They all welcome the passing of the old Saloon, though they are divided as to what should be proposed if the Volstead Act were amended to permit the sale of light wines and beers. The idea of a place of refreshment which, like the con- tinental Cafe, might be really a poor man's club, and provide for but not push the sale of alcoholic drinks. does not seem to have occurred to most ; is there, per- haps, something in Anglo-Saxondom which dislikes innocent enjoyment too much ? which believes that adults should improve, not enjoy, themselves ?

They agree that probably the working man is saving more ; or if spending, then spending on automobiles, radio sets, phonographs and amusements instead of on drink. They agree that on the whole he is a bit more efficient. This makes Big Business in general support Prohibition at present. If it should lead eventually to workmen thinking more, and thinking more to the point—why, who knows what Big Business would say then ?

It has been stated that crime has diminished as a result of Prohibition ; but this has been denied, and the assertion made that the disrespect for the law engendered by Prohibition in regard to drink has over flowed into other fields. I have no statistics at hand ; but it is at least certain that even if crime has diminished, it is still far, far above anything to which we are accus- tomed. There were about as many crimes of violence last year in the city of Chicago as in the whole of Great Britain. Prohibition has certainly not made the country law-abiding.

They agree that the law is being broken wholesale, and usually with impunity, by all sorts and conditions of men. Cocktails call for no comment before the most respectable of professional men's dinner-parties. One may walk through the poorer streets of New York and still see places proclaiming themselves so obviously as gin-palaces that one thinks oneself in London—but the police do not seem to detect the fact.

They agree that this is having an especially demoralizing effect on the middle-middle and upper-middle class, and especially on the youth of this class, and especially on the feminine half of this youth. Prudish America suddenly gave birth, in the throes of war, to the Flapper ; and, as one might expect, she was the Flapperiest Flapper ever, worthy to be ranged by superficial satirists with the highest office-building, the most expensive railway station, the largest city, political scandal, net paid cir- culation, prehistoric skeleton, or University in the world, as a truly American product. Like the dear old lady in Pygmalion, " gin to her was mother's milk " ; and she let her squires and dance-partners know it.

They agree that moon-shining, rum-running, boot- legging and blind-tigering occur on a vast scale and bring in great fortunes to men who can combine the disreput- able with the courageous and the efficient.

And they agree that it is hopeless for the present to think of repealing the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

It is difficult to be sure, but the bulk of educated opinion appears to favour some change in the present situation in the direction of moderate and reasonable wetness, or at least moderate and reasonable liberty. That certainly was the case with the bulk of educated people whom I happened to meet, though admittedly the dry feeling is stronger in the West, even among the educated classes, and one hears of large sections of the newer Middle West which are quite emphatically and solidly dry.

(To be continued.)