This Week in Texas Methodist History November 17

Sunday School Class in Port Arthur Urges Controls on Liquor To Help War Effort, November 1942

The Men’s Bible Class of First Methodist Port Arthur, led by its teacher, C. V. Palmer, wrote a letter to all the Texas U. S. Senators and Representatives urging them to suppress the liquor traffic to help the war effort. 

 The United States had imposed rationing for civilians so that the U. S. military could have the gasoline and rubber necessary to fight World War II.   Some members of the Sunday School class were incensed when they saw that a beer distributer had obtained a new set of tires for his truck, and a dairy could not get tires for his truck.  They composed the following letter for the representatives.

The fifth columnists have been given the credit for whipping France two years ago, and drunkenness was one of the chief weapons.  We are convinced that we have plenty of fifth columnists in the United States who are fully aware of France’s predicament and are working to keep the liquor flowing freely in the U. S. army and navy camps.  We feel that strong drink is detrimental to our armed forces and is bound to be harmful to the strength, efficiency and clear headedness of our men in uniform.

The President gives fireside chats on the radio and tells us to be unwasteful.  This is very fine and we are suggesting that the removal of liquor will enable our country to take care of several items that are now being pinched, such as milk for the children and sugar for family use.  Under the present rulings, dairymen cannot have rubber tires to deliver milk to children but a beer concern here in Port Arthur has secured new tires for a delivery truck. 

The facts and statements are familiar to you as well as many we have not mentioned.  And we close this letter by repeating our solicitation of your earnest cooperation in the task of eliminating, or greatly reducing the worse than wasteful liquor business; which, we feel constitutes a national enemy ranking well up with Germany, Italy, and Japan. 

As readers of this column know, Port Arthur and the rest of the Golden Triangle, was one of the most important producers of gasoline, aviation fuel, ships, lubricants, and other vital war materiel.