my discovery of england-第18节

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alked　about　it　for　half　an　hour。　That　was　why　the　first　newspaper　bulletins　merely　said；　〃Conference　exchanges　credentials。〃

As　a　discoverer　of　England　I　therefore　made　it　one　of　my　chief　cares　to　try　to　obtain　accurate　information　of　this　topic。　I　was　well　aware　that　immediately　on　my　return　to　Canada　the　first　question　I　would　be　asked　would　be　〃Is　England　going　dry？〃　I　realised　that　in　any　report　I　might　make　to　the　National　Geographical　Society　or　to　the　Political　Science　Association；　the　members　of　these　bodies；　being　scholars；　would　want　accurate　information　about　the　price　of　whiskey；　the　percentage　of　alcohol；　and　the　hours　of　opening　and　closing　the　saloons。

My　first　impression　on　the　subject　was；　I　must　say；　one　of　severe　moral　shock。　Landing　in　England　after　spending　the　summer　in　Ontario；　it　seemed　a　terrible　thing　to　see　people　openly　drinking　on　an　English　train。　On　an　Ontario　train；　as　everybody　knows；　there　is　no　way　of　taking　a　drink　except　by　climbing　up　on　the　roof；　lying　flat　on　one's　stomach；　and　taking　a　suck　out　of　a　flask。　But　in　England　in　any　dining　car　one　actually　sees　a　waiter　approach　a　person　dining　and　say；　〃Beer；　sir；　or　wine？〃　This　is　done　in　broad　daylight　with　no　apparent　sense　of　criminality　or　moral　shame。　Appalling　though　it　sounds；　bottled　ale　is　openly　sold　on　the　trains　at　twenty…five　cents　a　bottle　and　dry　sherry　at　eighteen　cents　a　glass。

When　I　first　saw　this　I　expected　to　see　the　waiter　arrested　on　the　spot。　I　looked　around　to　see　if　there　were　any　〃spotters；〃　detectives；　or　secret　service　men　on　the　train。　I　anticipated　that　the　train　conductor　would　appear　and　throw　the　waiter　off　the　car。　But　then　I　realised　that　I　was　in　England　and　that　in　the　British　Isles　they　still　tolerate　the　consumption　of　alcohol。　Indeed；　I　doubt　if　they　are　even　aware　that　they　are　〃consuming　alcohol。〃　Their　impression　is　that　they　are　drinking　beer。

At　the　beginning　of　my　discussion　I　will　therefore　preface　a　few　exact　facts　and　statistics　for　the　use　of　geographical　societies；　learned　bodies　and　government　commissions。　The　quantity　of　beer　consumed　in　England　in　a　given　period　is　about　200；000；000　gallons。　The　life　of　a　bottle　of　Scotch　whiskey　is　seven　seconds。　The　number　of　public　houses；　or　〃pubs；〃　in　the　English　countryside　is　one　to　every　half　mile。　The　percentage　of　the　working　classes　drinking　beer　is　125：　the　percentage　of　the　class　without　work　drinking　beer　is　200。

Statistics　like　these　do　not；　however；　give　a　final　answer　to　the　question；　〃Is　prohibition　coming　to　England？〃　They　merely　show　that　it　is　not　there　now。　The　question　itself　will　be　answered　in　as　many　different　ways　as　there　are　different　kinds　of　people。　Any　prohibitionist　will　tell　you　that　the　coming　of　prohibition　to　England　is　as　certain　as　the　coming　eclipse　of　the　sun。　But　this　is　always　so。　It　is　in　human　nature　that　people　are　impressed　by　the　cause　they　work　in。　I　once　knew　a　minister　of　the　Scotch　Church　who　took　a　voyage　round　the　world：　he　said　that　the　thing　that　impressed　him　most　was　the　growth　of　presbyterianism　in　Japan。　No　doubt　it　did。　When　the　Orillia　lacrosse　team　took　their　trip　to　Australia；　they　said　on　their　return　that　lacrosse　was　spreading　all　over　the　world。　In　the　same　way　there　is　said　to　be　a　spread　all　over　the　world　of　Christian　Science；　proportional　representation；　militarism；　peace　sentiment；　barbarism；　altruism；　psychoanalysis　and　death　from　wood　alcohol。　They　are　what　are　called　world　movements。

My　own　judgment　in　regard　to　prohibition　in　the　British　Isles　is　this：　In　Scotland；　prohibition　is　not　coming：　if　anything；　it　is　going。　In　Ireland；　prohibition　will　only　be　introduced　when　they　have　run　out　of　other　forms　of　trouble。　But　in　England　I　think　that　prohibition　could　easily　come　unless　the　English　people　realise　where　they　are　drifting　and　turn　back。　They　are　in　the　early　stage　of　the　movement　already。

Turning　first　to　Scotland；　there　is　no　fear；　I　say；　that　prohibition　will　be　adopted　there：　and　this　from　the　simple　reason　that　the　Scotch　do　not　drink。　I　have　elsewhere　alluded　to　the　extraordinary　misapprehension　that　exists　in　regard　to　the　Scotch　people　and　their　sense　of　humour。　I　find　a　similar　popular　error　in　regard　to　the　use　of　whiskey　by　the　Scotch。　Because　they　manufacture　the　best　whiskey　in　the　world；　the　Scotch；　in　popular　fancy；　are　often　thought　to　be　addicted　to　the　drinking　of　it。　　This　is　purely　a　delusion。　During　the　whole　of　two　or　three　pleasant　weeks　spent　in　lecturing　in　Scotland；　I　never　on　any　occasion　saw　whiskey　made　use　of　as　a　beverage。　I　have　seen　people　take　it；　of　course；　as　a　medicine；　or　as　a　precaution；　or　as　a　wise　offset　against　a　rather　treacherous　climate；　but　as　a　beverage；　never。

The　manner　and　circumstance　of　their　offering　whiskey　to　a　stranger　amply　illustrates　their　point　of　view　towards　it。　Thus　at　my　first　lecture　in　Glasgow　where　I　was　to　appear　before　a　large　and　fashionable　audience；　the　chairman　said　to　me　in　the　committee　room　that　he　was　afraid　that　there　might　be　a　draft　on　the　platform。　　Here　was　a　serious　matter。　For　a　lecturer　who　has　to　earn　his　living　by　his　occupation；　a　draft　on　the　platform　is　not　a　thing　to　be　disregarded。　It　might　kill　him。　Nor　is　it　altogether　safe　for　the　chairman　himself；　a　man　already　in　middle　life；　to　be　exposed　to　a　current　of　cold　air。　In　this　case；　therefore；　the　chairman　suggested　that　he　thought　it　might　be　〃prudent〃that　was　his　word；　〃prudent〃if　I　should　take　a　small　drop　of　whiskey　before　encountering　the　draft。　In　return　I　told　him　that　I　could　not　think　of　his　accompanying　me　to　the　platform　unless　he　would　let　me　insist　on　his　taking　a　very　reasonable　precaution。　Whiskey　taken　on　these　terms　not　only　seems　like　a　duty　but　it　tastes　better。

In　the　same　way　I　find　that　in　Scotland　it　is　very　often　necessary　to　take　something　to　drink　on　purely　meteorological　grounds。　The　weather　simply　cannot　be　trusted。　A　man　might　find　that　on　〃going　out　into　the　weather〃　he　is　overwhelmed　by　a　heavy　fog　or　an　avalanche　of　snow　or　a　driving　storm　of　rain。　In　such　a　case　a　mere　drop　of　whiskey　might　save　his　life。　It　would　be　folly　not　to　take　it。　Again；〃coming　in　out　of　the　weather〃　is　a　thing　not　to　be　trifled　with。　A　person　coming　in　unprepared　and　unprotected　might　be　seized　with　angina　pectoris　or　appendicitis　and　die　upon　the　spot。　No　reasonable　person　would　refuse　the　simple　precaution　of　taking　a　small　drop　immediately　after　his　entry。

I　find　that；　classified　altogether；　there　are　seventeen　reasons　advanced　in　Scotland　for　taking　whiskey。　They　run　as　follows：　Reason　one；　because　it　is　raining；　Two；　because　it　is　not　raining；　Three；　because　you　are　just　going　out　into　the　weather；　Four；　because　you　have　just　come　in　from　the　weather；　Five；　no；　I　forget　the　ones　that　come　after　that。　But　I　remember　that　reason　number　seventeen　is　〃because　it　canna　do　ye　any　harm。〃　On　the　whole；　reason　seventeen　is　the　best。

Put　in　other　words　this　means　that　the　Scotch　make　use　of　whiskey　with　dignity　and　without　shame：　and　they　never　call　it　alcohol。

In　England　the　case　is　different。　Already　the　English　are　showing　the　first　signs　that　indicate　the　possible　approach　of　prohibition。　Already　all　over　England　there　are　weird　regulations　about　the　closing　hours　of　the　public　houses。　They　open　and　close　according　to　the　varying　regulations　of　the　municipality。　In　some　places　they　open　at　six　in　the　morning；　close　down　for　an　hour　from　nine　till　ten；　open　then　till　noon；　shut　for　ten　minutes；　and　so　on；　in　some　places　they　are　open　in　the　morning　and　closed　in　the　evening；　in　other　places　they　are　open　in　the　evening　and　closed　in　the　morning。　The　ancient　idea　was　that　a　wayside　public　house　was　a　place　of　sustenance　and　comfort；　a　human　need　that　might　be　wanted　any　hour。　It　was　in　the　same　class　with　the　life　boat　or　the　emergency　ambulance。　Under　the　old　common　law　the　innkeeper　must　supply　meat　and　drink　at　any　hour。　If　he　was　asleep　the　traveller　might　wake　him。　And　in　those　days　meat　and　drink　were　regarded　in　the　same　light。　Note　how　great　the　change　is。　In　modern　life　in　England　there　is　nothing　that　you　dare　wake　up　a　man　for　except　gasoline。　The　mere　fact　that　you　need　a　drink　is　no　longer　held　to　entitle　you　to　break　his　rest。

In　London　especially　one　feels　the　full　force　of　the　〃closing〃　regulations。　The　bars　open　and　shut　at　intervals　like　daisies　blinking　at　the　sun。　And　like　the　flowers　at　evening　they　close　their　petals　with　the　darkness。　In　London　they　have　already　adopted　the　deadly　phrases　of　the　prohibitionist；　such　as　〃alcohol〃　and　〃liquor　traffic〃　and　so　on：　and　already　the　〃sale　of　spirits〃　stops　absolutely　at　about　eleven　o'clock　at　night。

This　means　that　after　theatre　hours　London　is　a　〃city　of　dreadful　night。〃　The　people　from　the　theatre　scuttle　to　their　homes。　The　lights　are　extinguished　in　the　windows。　The　streets　darken。　Only　a　belated　taxi　still　moves。　At　midnight　the　place　is　deserted。　At　1　A。M。；　the　lingering　footfalls　echo　in　the　empty　street。　　Here　and　there　a　restaurant　in　a　fashionable　street　makes　a　poor　pretence　of　keeping　open　for　after　theatre　suppers。　Odd　people；　the　shivering　wrecks　of　theatre　parties；　are　huddled　here　and　there。　A　gloomy　waiter　lays　a