TEMPERANCE COLUMN

Evening Star, Issue 20982, 22 December 1931, Page 11

TEMPERANCE COLUMN

[Published by Arrangement with the United Temperance Reform Council.] Have you ever known a man to lose his job because he was a total abstainer ? Alcohol has wrecked more lives, starved more children, and murdered more women than any other single factor.—Sir Wilfred Greenfell. Conversation at wreck of car; “Loose tyre?” “No; tight driver.” Take alcohol into partnership and it becomes the predominant partner and wrecks the business. TASK OF CHRISTIANS, “WORLD BEING FORCED INTO BANKRUPTCY.” Sir George Paish, who was adviser to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the British Treasury from 1914 to 1916, was the guest of honour at a luncheon given in the Carlton Restaurant, at which ho delivered a remarkable address. EXTRACTS. Sir George Paish dealt with the responsibilities of Christians in the pre-sent-day condition of the world in his address at the Assembly Hall service. Christians, he said, had a greater measure of responsibility to humanity than those who did not profess Christianity; they had to be measured by higher standards than other people. Lookipg around the world one saw a tremendous amount of unemployment. What was the cause Ho said quite deliberately that it was because they were not living up to what they professed. They were not trying to solve the problems in the way they had to be solved.

As never before, every nation was engaged in seeking to save its own life at the expense of the rest of the world. The result was chaos. POVERTY CAN BE ABOLISHED.

“It *is physically possible to-day to abolish poverty,” declared Sir George. “ It was not possible in tho past. This world has unlimited wealth. I am convinced that tho world could contain six times the number of people it now contains, and on an infinitely higher piano.' Canada and Russia could produce infinite quantities of food. “Until wo had tho steamboats and railways we could not get at where the wealth is. We can get there to-day and produce it with an extraordinary economy of comfort. “I am convinced that we are at tho beginning of tho greatest time in the world’s history, and in the history of our own country. I am convinced that this country’s well-being will extend in tho next century. Our wealth has increased six times in one century. “But,” Sir George wont on, “you cannot have good things without great effort. You cannot build up a groat nation without building up a great national character.

“The world is waiting for a leader. Wo had hoped that America, being young and full of great thought, would conic out and announce a policy that would take tho world out of its difficulties, but America has not done it. It is not because America does not want to do it, but because she does not understand it. Americans understand America, but not the world..” To tho whole body of Christians he would say, “Do you mean to tell me that if you chose to use your influence as Christians you couldn’t entirely change this world?” Of course they could. People were looking at things in tho wrong way, and did not realise or accept their responsibilities to the world.

“You can't expect to go into_ a finer world than this if you misuse this one,” declared Sir George. God had presented the world to the human race for its well-being, he wont on. It was a heritage, and God had endowed it with wealth beyond dreams. As far as Ho was concerned there was no reason for any poverty at all in any country of the world. I'ho .world possessed natural wealth beyond what was necessary to maintain any conceivable population in it.

It was man’s guiltiness—his failure to live up to responsibilities—that brought about poverty, wars, and crimes. The world at the present day was in a state of great danger, and there was no other way out of the problem than that of applying the Christian ethic. Every nation had to bring its contribution,

and every person must play a part. “Wo cannot get out otherwise,” he added. “ We are spending more on alcohol to-day than we are on bread,” declared Sir George. “Last year wo spent a sum not far short of £300,000,000 on alcohol.” “ There are more people in the world to-day anxious to do the right thing than ever before,” concluded Sir George. “ The problems will be solved I have no doubt. Within a comparatively short time we shall drive poverty out of the world and help the human pace to attain the gteat heritage to which it was destined from the beginning of time.” Apart from the immediate prospects, the future of the world was bright. “If we get through this trouble,” said Sir George, ‘ ‘ the statesmen of the world will have had a lesson that they will never forget. If we remain free from starvation in most of the countries we shall be lucky, but nations shall have learned of the need for co-operation and the working together for the common good. We have got to make the world a new world and not tolerate the things that we have tolerated in the past. The drink question has been a great cause of the trouble. You will never be able to abolish poverty so long as you permit' drinking. (Applause.) It means that you will never do what the situation calls for until you begin to act rightly. The situation calls as it never called before in the history of the world, for the abolition of poverty. In the world to-day threefourths of the people are living .under the poverty line. The standard of living in Europe and America is now very low. In all parts of the world nations were in debt as never before. The world was being forced into bankruptcy by the folly of the nations, and eyes were turned to Great Britain, the maker of the modern world, for a lead out of the diffipnlties. FORGIVE REPARATIONS. The immediate situation demanded a conference between great statesmen of the world. He hoped that such a conference would bo held, and that every nation would come and bring its contribution. There should be forgiveness of reparations and interallied debts; whole-hearted should be given to the League of Nations. NATIONAL PROGRESS. When one nation, such as the United States, makes a definite advance in this form of economy eliminating the drinking customs, there is no reason to doubt that it will gain on all others year by year, decade by decade, and century by century, and eventually dominate the civilised world. They who refuse to i take this great forward step in the economy of human resources are definitely choosing to occupy a secondary position in the world.— ‘ The New Encyclopaedia Britannica.’