JUDGE'S WARNING

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3039, 28 March 1917, Page 6

JUDGE'S WARNING

CLEAN SWEEP MAY HAVE TO BE MADE OF. LIQUOR", TRADE.

Mr. Justice Rowlatt, at the Derby Assizes, recently, made some strong remarks in tho case' of a soldier who had been twioe wounded at the front, with a splendid record, who was then oharged with burglary and whose defence was that ho was druuk.

The Judgo said we must look forward almost with terror to the time when hundreds of thousands, or perhaps ono or two millions, of bravo men wriuld be returning from the front and exposed to the temptations to which this prisoner was_ exposed. If wo were going to have a million or two heroes abandoning themselves to indulgence to drink which might reduce them to a state of unconsciousness, what was going to be the state of the country? If men were led into such offences, whatever their individual views on the question might be, it might well be that a clean sweep would havo to bo made of the liquor trade if the country were not to be deluged with charges such as this. The law must make it clear that those who had served abroad must also servo at home with respect for the laws of society. If not, society must dissolve. AVith great earnestness the Judge sßict that these lines might have been written of those "friends" of soldiers who abounded at all. the great railway stations and in publio places:

you will 6how them what the British are. Give us your hand, old friend, to shake; Then take him round from bar to bar And make him drink for England's eake. That's how youohelpcd him yesterday, Cloar-nyed and earnest, keen and hard, Ho. held hiineolf soldier-way

Now lliey'vo got him undor guard,