The page containing this cartoon has an interesting story on the effects of US Alcohol Prohibition, which was starting to come into force:

New York Cafes Not Serving Drinks

New York, Oct. 23.—It was hard to buy a drink in New York today. Arrests of federal agents accused of grafting and indications that one of them would turn state’s evidence, scared cafes, cabarets' and motor inns, where hitherto nothing but the price has been necessary in order to satisfy any alcholic craving as fully as before wartime prohibition went into effect. With five men, including three federal agents, held for hearing, supoenas were issued for a score of prominent cafe owners and several politicians to appeaer before a federal grand jury.

The context was the impending Constitutional Prohibition on alcohol, which was building on wartime (WWI) prohibition:

On November 18, 1918, prior to ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment, the U.S. Congress passed the temporary Wartime Prohibition Act, which banned the sale of alcoholic beverages having an alcohol content of greater than 1.28%.[13] This act, which had been intended to save grain for the war effort, was passed ten days after the armistice ending World War I was signed, on November 21, 1918.[14] The Wartime Prohibition Act took effect June 30, 1919, with July 1 becoming known as the "Thirsty First".[15][16]

The U.S. Senate proposed the Eighteenth Amendment on December 18, 1917. Upon being approved by a 36th state on January 16, 1919, the amendment was ratified as a part of the Constitution. By the terms of the amendment, the country went dry one year later, on January 17, 1920.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_in_the_United_States