The Tsar has expressed a wish that the cause of temperance may be advanced among his people, and the Minister of Finance has declared that, if Russia makes the great sacrifice of doing without the liquor money altogether, "the people will be healthier and the State will be In Port Arthur and Mukden, hard drinking was the rule and it did more to defeat Stoessel and Kuroparkin than all the cannon and riflee of the Japanese. On the present occasion, however, no spirits of any kind will be sold or given to the army, throughout the whole course of the war. So says the Minister of Finance, and he adds that, even when the Russian troops occupy foreign towns, an army order will at once prevent the sale or consumption of spirit and every spirit store will be sealed.
A Gradual Process, Nobody expecta the sobering of Russia to come at once. Even the enthusiastic Mr. Chelyshev only advocates at first the closing of many wine-shops, especially of such as are situated on high roads where many peasants ordinarily pass, Meanwhile there will gradually be opened for the amusement and instruction of the peasants, libraries, reading-rooms and refreshment-rooms selling tea or Kvass. In the foundation of these popular resorts, the local Zemstvo members, the clergy and the intelligentsia will be glad to assist.
That the Russian teetotal movement is no passing fad but a tional demand was shown by the gigantic demonstration in St. Petersburg yesterday, August 30, The congregations of all the churches in the capital joined in that imposing Procession. If this war makes Russia sober it will have, on the whole, done good, no matter what it costs in money and in lives.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.