Ever since the official revelation some days ago by the head of the Federal Alcohol Administration that more than half of the country's alcoholic output -- and consumption -- was of illegitimate origin, Government preparations for doing away with the admittedly nefarious traffic have been going forward at a high rate. Action followed rapidly on the heels of outcry, and overnight the new Alcohol Tax Unit joined the Administration's numerous progeny through the merger of the old Bureaus of Prohibition and of Industrial Alcohol Control. Boasting a doubled enforcement outfit, the super-efficient A.T.U. has announced to the country through its nominal chief, Mr. Morgenthau, that with the cooperation of the public it intends speedily to wipe out big-time moon shining and return to the public coffers the enormous revenue in taxes that now go to the bootleg industry.

While no one wishes anything but success to the publicans whose duty it is to see that no liquor taxes go uncollected, the program of the A.T.U. smacks of nothing so much as simple faith in Pussyfoot Johnson's lamented Prohibition system: the use of crude strong-arm tactics as the remedy for basic ills. Bootlegging is admittedly profitable because liquor is scarce and taxes thereon out of all proportion to the value of the commodity. Yet not only does the A.T.U. plan to keep taxes at existing skyscraper levels, but by wiping out illegitimate distilleries, it will also reduce by half the amount of available alcohol now on the market. Without any further provision to replace the supply thus destroyed, this procedure can only have the result of skyrocketing the legal price of liquor to astronomical figures, with consequent further inducement to bootlegging and its concomitants of graft and racketeering.

If the liquor problem ever is to be solved, the government must remember the lessons of prohibition. They proved conclusively that the otherwise law-abiding burgher will not hesitate to purchase bootleg liquor if no other is available. Before relying on public assistance in exterminating the bootlegger, the government would do better to concentrate on securing an adequate supply of fairly priced liquor by rescinding exorbitant taxes and outlawing monopoly profits. Until such time as this is done, Joe and Tony will continue to flourish as of yore at the old stand despite all the expense which the government now designs to lavish on their eradication.