WHISKY AND VODKA 97 



that one would sleep for longer periods in a house of many 

 beds, -than in one possessing few. With competition, Mr. 

 Bung would have to rely on the quality of his malt for his 

 livelihood. At present, as I have personally seen, English 

 ale has been to a very large extent superseded by German 

 beer in India, China and South Africa, for the very sufficient 

 reason that it is not so good. I have asked several brewers 

 why their English brethren have let this export trade slip 

 from them, and have invariably received the reply, that the 

 home trade pays them better than the foreign. Naturally, 

 they did not add that the former is in their hands, but that 

 the latter is open to competition. Although the Russian 

 beer is not as good as the German, it is a long way in front 

 of the ordinary "bitter" to be obtained from the nearest 

 English public-house. Even if unlimited licensing was con- 

 sidered unadvisable for public-houses ; surely no objection 

 could be taken to its application to places where only beer was 

 sold. The warmest defender of British beer could hardly be 

 rash enough to say a good word for the quality of the spirits 

 that are sold over the retail counter in these isles. They 

 manage these things better in Russia, where alcohol is a 

 Government monopoly, and every drop issued is free from 

 adulteration of any kind. Consequently, when a Russian 

 gets drunk on his favourite vodka, he may become speechless 

 and paralysed ; but, as a preliminary to that state, he does not 

 exhibit the vagaries of a rabid dog or dangerous lunatic in 

 the manner beloved by a large number of Englishmen on a 

 Saturday night. " Difference of national temperament " is 

 the reply I have often received to this statement. Not wish- 

 ing that such a grave and unjust accusation should be made 

 against the English, I hasten to affirm that our nation's 

 temperament is all right, but it's the national drink that is 

 all wrong. Having drank many a glass of whisky and vodka, 

 I know what I am talking about ! 

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