The American Issue, April 9, 1915

The American Issue, April 9, 1915

Prohibitionists want to portray alcohol as something that will betray anything if it gets in its way of making money. They portray it as aiding the enemy since it could affect the entire war effort by the British due to its physically impairing those that drink. Alcohol was the number one enemy of the people and the state and needed to be banned.

During World War I, Britain enacted the Defense of the Realm Act (DORA), which partially prohibited alcohol for soldiers by limiting pub hours, reducing alcohol percentages, and restricting supply. This was due to concerns that soldiers were drinking excessively. The comic praises the United Kingdom for its actions against alcohol, depicting it about to be attacked by a rum bottle as punishment for exposing alcohol’s dangers. In the background, the United States watches, witnessing how alcohol betrays its users.

The American Issue (Westerville, Ohio)

Library of Congress

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

April 9, 1915

Public Domain

PDF

English

Comic

Library of Congress Control Number: sn2008060406

Prohibition

Newspaper Front Page

8.72 × 12.72 in