AFTERNOON TEA IN RUSSIA 



The popularity of the cup which cheers hut does not inebriate has increased enormously 

 since vodka went out of fashion. Another favorite table beverage of the Russians is kvass, 

 the liquor drawn off soaked black bread or white bread. 



merit of popular aid to the military forces 

 of the country, is the immense expansion 

 of the already existing cooperative socie- 

 ties since the beginning of the war. This 

 growth is very closely connected with the 

 abolition of vodka and the consequent 

 entire sobriety of the whole nation for a 

 period which is already of nearly three 

 years' duration. 



Strong drink had always been the one 

 absolutely essential thing for the peasant. 

 Whatever else he lacked, he must have 

 his drunken spree once in so often, and 

 no obligation, no duty, and no work ever 

 interfered with the far more important 

 task of periodically getting drunk. 



As each spree took at least three days' 

 time — one day to get drunk, one to lie 

 drunk, and one to recover his senses — 

 the working time of the average peasant 

 was greatly diminished. To this was 

 added the due observance of all State 

 and Church holidays and anniversaries, 



and also bad weather, so that in all prob- 

 ability 150 days would be a large labor 

 average for a year. 



When the Emperor "by a stroke of the 

 pen," as is so often said, wiped out the 

 great curse of drink from the people, he 

 not only added greatly to their economic 

 forces, but to their military fitness. It is 

 now widely felt that one of the most po- 

 tent reasons for the ill-success of the 

 Russian arms in the Japanese war was 

 the constant state of intoxication of so 

 many of the officers and men. 



With the ending of vodka, however, a 

 great deal of spare time was thrown on 

 the people. Drinking was one of the 

 chief amusements of millions of men who 

 could neither read nor write, and if dis- 

 orders, if the mischief which Satan al- 

 ways finds for idle hands, was to be 

 avoided, something must be substituted 

 in the way of clean and healthful recrea- 

 tion. 



226 



