RETURNED SOLDIERS

Evening Star, Issue 17226, 16 December 1919, Page 5

RETURNED SOLDIERS

[Published by Arrangement.]

AN IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION. The following open letter is addressed to all returned soldiers by tho executive of the New Zealand Moderate Leagu*: Wellington, December 10th, 1919. Gentlemen, — In viow of the attempts being made by the Prohibition Party to discount the clear expression of opinion that you gave against Prohibition at t!w April referendum, and tho statemento made by them that the soldiers' votes were cast against Prohibition because of alleged misrepresentations made by this League in the letter whdoh we had the honor of addressing to •those of you who were overseas at the time, the executive of the League wishes, firstly, to record its opinion that the soldiers' vote was the result of the studied judgment of the men themselves, and waa uninfluenced by any partisan propaganda. The letter sent by the Moderat-e League to the soldiers prior to the referendum was a plain statement of facta, and the contents thereof still stand urccontrovorted. Any returned soldier can check for himself tho allegations made by the Moderate League against the Prohibitionists, as follows: 1. That tho Prohibitionists took advantage of the absence of the large body of mon on active service io attempt to secure a catch vote. Proof: See resolution of New Zealand Allianeo in ' Dominion' newspaper of April 10, 1918, in which an immediate poll was demanded, and no mention whatever was made about the soldiers' right to vote. (Note also that at tho same meeting tho Alliance passed a resolution urging . tho Government to "stop the sale of licjuor at all port? of landing and at all places where troop trains stop with returned soldiers.)

The Moderate League immediately met, and objected to any vote(beiGg taken while the soldiers were away. (See Wellington papers, April lltb, 1918.) It was after this that the Prohibition Party, seeing the game was up, admitted the right of the soldier to vote on the referendum. In its original demand for an immediate poll to take place during 1918 the Prohibition Party made no reference whatever to the soldiers' vote.

If further proof is required of the League's statement that the Prohibitionists were pressing for a vote before the soldiers came back, it is only necessary to turn to the report o! the Rev. R. S. Gray's speech in tha Wellington Town Hall on August 9th,. 1918, when ho said: " Let us have this menace out of the road and the path cleared, before tha 00375 come home." Ako speeches of Mr L. M. Isitt, M.P., inTAuckland on July 29th, 1918, and of Mrs Don in Dunedin on July 31st, 1918. 2. That the Prohibitionists endeavored to besmirch the good name of the soldiers and brand them before the world as drunkards, in order to secure some immediate advantage for their propaganda. Proof: See report of meeting W.C.T.U., March 23rd, 1915, resolution demanding prohibition of all soldiers in uni. form. Methodist Conference resolution, February 24th, 1915, asking for prohibition of all soldiers in uniform. Similar resolution of Dunedin Presbytery, May sth, 1915. Prohibition deputation to Minister of Education, May 25tb, 1915. The following is a typical illustration of the opinions expressed by the Prohibitionists. Extract from speech of Rev. Scorgie at Dunedin Presbyterv (vide ' Otago Daily Times,' May sth, 1915): It should be made absolutely impossible for soldiers to obtain drink. The present position in Wellington and other places was a grave disgrace and a scandal to the community. Young men's names were being placed on rolls of honor all pver the country, and the next thing they heard wa3 that these men were seen drunk. The rolls of honor WOULD SOON BE ROLLS OF DISHONOR, if that sort of thing went on. The Government should make it impossible for men in camps to obtain liquor, and (concluded Mr Scorgie) ANYONE FOUND TAKING IT IN SHOULD BE STRIPPED AND FLOGGED.

It was because of such records as this in the publio Press of New Zealand that t-hs _ Moderate League felt it a duty to acquaint the absent soldiers not only with the altered law, but with the manner .in which the Prohibitionists had vilified them for propaganda purposes. Not satisfied with securing "dry" camps and troopships from their friend the Minister cf Defence, the Prohibitionists even demanded that the hospital ships should be "dry," as witness resolutions in the Press of June 11th, 1915, and subsequent Ministerial statements. To add further to tha mas of unwarranted abuse and slanderous accusations, both direct and implied, levelled against the soldiers bv the Prohibitionists, the W.O.T.U. Convention at Christchurch (vide 'Evening Post,' March 23rd, 1915) urged the Minister of Defence " to take immediate -steps to appoint women patrols to work in the neighborhood of the camps of Expeditionary Forces for safeguarding young people and the prevention of disorderly conduct." Returned soldiers may for themsdves turn up the records in 'Hansard' of the speeches of Prohibition M.P.s in Parliament when the early closing question was before the House. They will find there unfounded statements about the frightful condition of drunkenness in which the soldiers were taken back to camp each night from Lambton station. Fortunately, a eoiusnittee of members with moderate views made special investigations; and were able to publicly refute in Parliament the slanders that were levelled against the men. All sensible people realised, as jou did yourselves, that a few men sot "over the odds"; but the object of the Prohibitionists was io brand the whole of the men in the hops of securing an advantage ior their propaganda. During the five years of war the Moderate ! League haa dons its best to preserve the liberty of the subject, and at the eaine time endeavor to have the liquor laws amended along sensible lines to bring about a better service and remove all reproaches. The League holers that undex State Purchase ' and Control great improvements can be made without trespassing in any way on personal liberty and free choice in this matter. The League has every conn- ' donee that with the larger experience- gained by tha soldiers in their service overseas the issue at the forthcoming poll may be safely trusted to their good judgment as beforen- U \ w ? ul<1 ' in inclusion, again point out that \{ Prohibition is once carried the law provides that it shall he for all time, and that no further vote will be taken on the liquor question in New Zealand. Yours faithfully, D. M. FINDLAY, „ ' President. K. A. ARMSTRONG, Dominion Secretary.