Ten-Year Plan?

Cried Paris' famed funny sheet Canard Enchaene: French lovers of the grape, beware! The Government plans "wine control!" Serious papers paid no attention. Frenchmen growled: Tu parles! (No kidding!).

But the awful fact was that the Ministry of Health, under Communist Franc,ois Billoux, was pussyfooting a plan (some said a ten-year plan) to discourage the consumption of alcohol by a long-term rationing of wine. The Ministry wanted to encourage the consumption of fresh fruit juices, by promoting the soft-drink industry and setting up soft-drink bars beside village and city bistros. The immediate purpose was to conserve alcohol for military needs. The long-range purpose was to conserve the national health.

With horror gourmets looked forward to the day when, rolling their tongues over unfermented grape juice, they would find themselves saying: "Ah! vintage of '46! Quel bouquet!"

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