For some time the Prohibition Party, the Anti-Saloon League of America and other or ganizations have been working for national prohibition. The outbreak of the European War and the entrance of the United States into it strengthened their efforts and brought the movement to a head. In order to increase the efficiency of the fighting forces, it was made a punishable offense to sell intoxicating liquor to soldiers or sailors. Since the successful prosecution of the war depends not only on the efficiency of the fighting forces but also on that of the civil and industrial population, it was argued that prohibition should be extended to the nation. Accordingly a resolution vps introduced in Congress proposing a prohibition amendment to the Constitution of the United States. In December 1917 this resolution passed Congress by the necessary two-thirds ma jority in both houses. The language of the proposed amendment is as follows: " Section 1. After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxi cating liquces within, the importation thereof into, or the thereof from the United States and all territory 1r to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.
Section 2. The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appro Pruitt legislation.
' Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States. as provided in the Constitution. within seven years from the date of the sub mission hereof to the States by the Congress." In 1919 this proposed amendment had been ratified by 45 States. See PROHIBITION PARTY.
Consult Committee of Fifty, Qiquor Prob lem in its Legislative Aspects); Remsch, P. S., (Readings on American State Government' (Chap. 7, New York City); Anti-Saloon League Year Book; Franklin, F., (Prohibition and the States) (North American Review, 1918, pp. 231-238).