Mr. John Steele, the London Editor of the Chicago Tribune,
has lately been visiting his native country for the first time since the era of Prohibition, and has published his answer to the reiterated question " Is America really dry ? " in a very able article in last week's Sunday Times. There seems, indeed, to be a general feeling in the air that as Prohibition has now lasted three years it is time to try to sum up, to balance its results, good and evil. Mr. Steele landed with the impression that Prohibition was the joke and Bootlegging the solid fact, but by the end of his stay he came to the conclusion that, although liquor was undoubtedly everywhere obtainable, a sufficient amount of inconvenience, expense, and risk had been put in the way of getting it to overcome the average man's desire to do so. Smuggling, under the leadership of Captain " Bill " Miller, of Halifax—a gentleman with something of the Captain Marryat touch about him—was extensive, but in practice could not provide an appreciable supply of liquor for 100,000,000 throats. On the whole, powerful enough " votes " and " interests " were behind Prohibition to insure its lasting.
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