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Norwegians have stomached for almost ten years a form of national prohibition which never at any time prohibited beverages with an alcoholic content less than 12%.

During the last seven years the national gorge has been rising. Last week Norwegians streamed to the polls and repudiated national prohibition by a referendum vote of 525,423 to 415,637.

Said Premier Lykke, last week: "The Government will at once introduce a bill abolishing prohibition. We take it for granted that the Storting (Parliament) will adopt the measure. Enforcement of prohibition law has proved impossible and has led to contempt for and disregard of all laws as well as to extensive smuggling and incitement to drink."

Troublous Experiment. Four phases have divided the Norwegian prohibition experiment: 1914-17-- prohibition instituted by decree as a measure of War-time economy and finally enacted as a law by parliament; 1917-19--growing urban resentment against the 12% limit, culminating in a national referendum (1919) which upheld prohibition 489,660 to 305,241; 1919-23--demands by Spain and Portugal that the wines of those countries be admitted to Norway, were backed up by those nations with the temporary erection of a tariff wall "prohibiting" the sale of Norwegian fish to their nationals, an act which led to relaxation of the Norwegian law to permit the sale of all drinkables except spirits; 1923-26--increase in spirit smuggling into Norway until even laborers can now afford the one-time "national spirit," Braendevin.