A WOMAN'S VIEW

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16703, 11 December 1919, Page 2

A WOMAN'S VIEW

LADt HENRY SOMERSET

LIFEI-ONG TOrpraAXCF WORKER I CONDESEXS PROHIBITION. , The following paragraphs represent the views on prohibition (or, rather, against Prohioition) of Lady Henry Somerset, National British "Women's Temperance Association, and World's Women's Christian Temperanco Union: — "For thirty years 1 have l>ecn working ir. the temperance eau?e, with tho *oie idea of petting a sa!x>r England. I '.m convinced that to force Prohibition nnv.- means that all the work of ti'cse years will lie undone, and that wo shall achieve a Iwirreu nothing. The cainpni'in sets public opinion dead temperance, real temperance." ■ "li Prohibition came in it would • merely become <juc=tinn ci" evading ' t':e law. and f<->r tho to acquire ' that hab't would be a bad thinji for the eount'v. This campaipn for Prohibition , is not- dealing honestly with one oi the . most solemn questions alfoctinj tho ' w!;olc iutnre of our national lire. l>e- . cause everyone who looks sor:ously at ! the nrescnt conditions knows Prohibij ti->n to be impossible." "T!ie movement for Prohibition mean* ! conducting the on seatimen'-.! in- • of practical grounds. ]\ has too orten been atfmpted. and has boon the curse of so little eve: having l>eon acliieved. It is no use arguing by analojry from the United Sta.tes."' "in the United States it is an entirely diffen-nt mn'ttor. It is a country with different traditions, and entirely | diiTerent social instincts. 1 know, be- ; cause I know the country well. In i Americ-.i the pry>nle are mouhled by ! opinions of the moment. How different ! is in I'Tngland, where every new thing takes a long time to take root, I where the customs are deeply entrenched." "Prohibition may do for America; it certainly will not do for England. [Advt.]

Miss Rrsina Buckmr.n has been engaged by Sir Thomas Beccham to app ar at liis coming season of grand ope:a in Knglish at C'ovent G r.den. The repertory will appeal to "i all t.vtcs." For the first time, the great mystery dramn "Parsifal" will Ih? sunc in ICuglish. ami Stravinsky's "Nighiingalo 1 ' (perliaps tho most remarkablo ot the productions during the Russian se.a-->■oll of 191 H will be a revival. Madame Eisn. Stralia has been engajred fo" the same season. The Ir.rge ua:i"n- at the Opera House will be at tho <lis;x>sal of tin- public, and the admission will he Is 2d plus Id tax. Grand opera at Covent Garden has never been available to the public for a price so lew cs this. It is announced that Madame Clara Butt thinks of returning presently to the operatic stage. "I am going to take to opera." she said. "I th'nk it is great. "'The only thing is," she added with a smilo. "there arc no tenors." Madame Bi-tt explained that she hoped to reappear next year in Gltick's "Orpheus." This was the wrrk in which she. made her first appcarance at the Lyceum Th'-.-i.trc in December, 1892. in a Royal College of Music performance. Mrs Lnwson C. Newmnn, formerly of Christchurch, has returned to lyondTk after a visit, to tho relatives of her lato husband. She was a passenger by the Riiahiiu'. M-s A. M. Ferguson (Auckland) c-anie to England by tho Ruahino, with tho object of seeing her son, who was a midshipman in 11.M.5. Renown, in which tho Prince of Wales is vis't'ng America. As the Renown will not be> liack in England until November, Mrs Ferguson is proceeding to Franco to leave her daughter there in order to enable h(\r to h»arn tho language. Mr and Mrs Adam Paterson CDunedin) and Miss Daisy Patc-rson expect to leave for Neiv Zealand, via Neiv York r.nd San Francisco, about December, or earlier if possible. While Mr Pntc-son wits engneod in busim-ss calls in the Midlands Mrs nntl Jliss Patcson visited relatives in the Eastern Counties. Thev aftorwardc all went to tho English Lakes and S-otlind.