RUM FOR THE TROOPS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 4 December 1914, Page 7

RUM FOR THE TROOPS.

Copy of Mr; &.■ R. Atki^gn'd Lette? to the J&;\v Zealandl *Ik»«s,-

(Publislied hf arrangemeritv^

Sir, —Of course y'ti-a are pleased about the alleged run*>- and of cbursr« v I you throw Lord Kitchener at the heads5 1 of those who are on the verge of rufining the "rummies"' out of this country. _ But it will i&ke even a j larger projectile than that and a more j i powerful howitzer than yous*s to stay i our progress, k 1 "The- Prohibitionists," x'<P% say, I "have accepted Lord Kitchenef as an i unimpeachable authority coniS&rning ; what is bes£ for the men." Have I they ? They fo*ve been very pleased to quote him wbeia his opinion agrees with theirs,, ami so are you when it agrees with yours-. But 'they are no more bound to approve when he sep^s to say or do"-so'8T<g£!ring to suit V&@ other side than you are. You accuse us of "attributing to him (Lord Kitchener)1 sentiments that he probably never uttered." On this point, at least, thera is no room for doubt. If you will refer to the actual words of Lord. Kitchener's message, as published in" the London Times of 19th August, you will find them to be as follows: Your duty cannot be do^e unless your health is sound. Sb» keen constantly on your guard against any excesses. In this new experience you msy find temptations both in wine and women. Yon must entirely resist both temptations. But for the garbled version of the ' message which was first published in A.irs+raiin. and continues to be used by the liquor party after its inaccuracy lias been exposed, no doubt cmdd possibly have arisen as to the meaning of these words. The London Times, In a leading article of 21st September, referred to our troops as carrying in their knapsacks "Lord Kitchener's admonition to abjure win>3"; and th© interpretation placed upom the adi/ics by itia men themselves is> proved by a letter published by the Glasgow Herakl, in which one of them says t "Our feSiO'A's have a!] signed! the pieiSge be- j cause KitcSiener wants them to." The message was correctSy coniJenJcEl by the Press Association's correspondent as a warning to abstain from liquor. As to the rum which delights, your old-fas'hicned heart, can you really ' suppose that it is essential, or even helpful, to military efficiency? You must surely admit that so" far the British solaier has done fairly well in the present campaign—"Never better" is certainly the verdict of your able military critic. Yet the campaign was described by the Londoni Times,, in the article already cited as "for th° Allies, and for Jhe iirst. time in history .■ . to all intents and purposes a 'teetotal' war." Whatever is done with the rum that is now said to be going to the front, we may be sure that the men will not be plied with it, even in small dosss, on the eve of a. big march or a big fight. "It. is curious," says Sir Frederick Treves, tSie great surgeon, who served in the South African war, "that troops cannot work or march on alcohol," As regards straight shooting," says Admiral Jelsicaa, "it is everyone's experience that abstinence j is necessary for the highast efficiensy." j "Lord Kitchener, being a soldier," • you say, "understands' what arduous campaigning means. Yes, and for that reason he, allowed his. tresps no spirits whatever in his great Soudan campaign, am? in the present war he has adviaad the man at tha front to abstain altogether. You ask how we reconcile this advice with the proposed provision of rum. That really is Lord Kitchener's affair and not ours. But if I might hszarc] a conjecture,, it would be that svsn Loyd Kitchener may not be omnipotent at the War Office. There are customs and traditions and prejudices antf vested interests which even ed strong a man may not be able to overcome. To suppose that he has changed his personal opinion while his message remains unrevoked seems at. anyrate to be clearly impossible. !i is alsa to be remembered* that ihe Was" Oyice has stated that rum is only to be issued to the troops on the recorsimsndiatisn of the mstsical officers. In conclusion may I ask why, if you really think that alcohol is" of any value to our troops except as a medicine, you did not attempt to include it among the equipment of our own Expeditionary Force? And why, in particular, csd not brewer or publican raise a protesting voice against the dscision of our own and the other dominion Governments in favour Of a "dry" canteen? The Trade is well advised to revel in the beatific vision of those vats at the West India Docks rather than to attempt the conversion of the New Zealand War Office to any similar foolishness.—l have the honour to be, your obedient servant A. R. ATKINSON. ; . "TEETOTAL" WAR. | _ "The trail of the German troops is marked, as innumerable witnesses testify, by myriads of empty bottles. Their ; once proud soldiery is now typified by , the colonel found in a stupor amid his ■ unconscious men beside a cask in an iipernay cellar. | We may contrast with this picture ! the spectacle presented by the Allies— | Russia absolutely prohibiting the sale ■ of vodka and beer throughout her imi mense dominions, France forbiddSng ■ the sale of absinthe, the British soldier marching through the best vineyards m existence, and temperately demandi mg (as many letters tell us) his cuo of . tea. i I . The great victory over drunkenness in Russia has received far too little attention m this country. Since China ; proscribed opium the world has seen nothing like it. We have been well reminded that in sternly prohibiting j the sale of spirituous liquor Russia has . already vanquished a greater foe than 1 the Orernians. Is it fully realised yet that for the Allies, and for th© first time in history, this is to all intents and purpose.^ a 'teetotal' war ? We hope that j the indiscreet peonle who insist on i treating' our soldiers and sailors on ! I their return from the front will realise! i it very quickly," adds the LONDON TIMES.