Returned Soldiers.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 25, 16 December 1919, Page 5

Returned Soldiers.

AN IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION.

The following open letter' is addressed to all returned soldiers by the executive of the New Zealand Moderate League:—• Wellington, December 1 Oth, 1919.

Gentlemen,— ' ■ I T.n view of the attempts being ! made by the Prohibition Party to discount the clear expression -of opinion that you gave against prohibition at the April referendum, and the statements made by them .that the soldiers' votes were cast against prohibition because of alleged misrepresentations made by this League in the letter which 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 judgmentof the men themselves and was uninfluenced ">* any partisan propaganda. The letter' sent by the Moderate League to the soldiers prior to the referendum was a plain statement of facts and the contents thereof still stand uncontroverted. Any returned soldier can check for himself the allegations made by the Moderpto League against the prohibitionists as follows: : ■' (1) That the Prohibitionists 'took • advantage of the absence of the large body of men on active! servioo to attempt to secure'' a • catch vote. •' Proof: See resolution of New Zealand Alliance in 'Dominion newspaper of April 10. 1918, iti which an immediate poll ! was demanded , and no mention whatever was made ahoui? the ' soldiers' right to vote. (Note also thai- at- the /same meeting the Alli&noefe passed .a , resolu- '.'">.' 'tion urging the Government to . , "stop the sale of liquor at all ports: of landing < and _ at all places where troop trains stop with returned soldiers.") •'. The. Moderate .League immediately - met and objected to any Vote being taken while the soldiers were awiiy---(See Wellington papers. April 11th, 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 191:5. the Prohibition Party made no reference whatever to the soldiers' vote. : If further proof is required of X 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 of the Rev. R. S. Graves fspeech in the Wellington Town Hall'on August 9th, •1918, when he said:: out of the*road smd the patn cleared before the'boys "come Also speeches of Mfe^:-My',,/Itttt,. 'MvP.. in Auckland 6HSM SPfltt W and of Mrs Don, in Dunedin; oh July 31st, 1918. " "i^^+kM (2) That the Prohibitionists;. ;eUr ! s deavoured to besmirch. the 'good §• name of the soldiers and ' brand ■'■'-■ theni before,the world as drunk-ards-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 um- • form. Methodist Conference resolution, February ■ ' 24th, ; W MS, asking foi* prohibition df air soldiers in uniform. Similar resolution . of Dunedin ■ Prete- ' bytery, May sth, 1915 ..Prohibition deputation to Minuter ' of Education,: May 25th, 1915. The following is a typical, illustrn; tion of the opinions expressed, by. the Prohibitionists. Extract ' .from _Kpeecji of Rev. Scorgie at Dunedin -Presbytery (vide "Otago Daily Times," m wmm ' r \" , *v r f^T , H "It should be made absolute!; fJimposrfbte for soldiers to', obtain JflrinV The present position, m Wellington and pthej- , -places v,:W9, J 4 f n wl|o| i - o*he : 'e»mmuriity. v Young . me»s. '.names were being placed on rolls . 'of honour all over the country, .'and the next thing , they heard Was that these men were seen, drunks The rolls of honour WOULD SOON- BE ROLLS, OF DISHONOUR, if that sort of thing went on. The Government should make it impossible for men -jin camps to obtain liquor, •concluded Mr Scorgie, "ANYONE FOUND /TAKING IT" A SHOULD BE STRIPPED ANI) FLOGGED." . . , , i A It was because of such records as this in the public press of New Zealand that the Moderate League fe «. it a duty to acquaint the absen. -?>tdiers not only with the altered law, but,with the manner in which the Prohibitionists had vilified them for propaganda purposes. Not satished with securing "dry" camps and troop ships from their friend the Mnuster of Defence, the Prohibitionists even demanded that the hospital ships should be "dry," as wtnesg resolutions in the press of June 11th, lyio, and subsequent Ministerial statements. To add further to the mass of unwarranted abuse and slanderous accusations both direct and implied levelled .againsVthe soldiersrby the Prohibitionists, the W.C.T.L Convention in Christchurch (vide "Evening Post," March 23rd, 191 o) urged the Minister of Defence "to take immediate stops to appoint women patrols to work in the neighbourhood of the camps of Expeditionary Forces for safeguarding young Pe°Pjf. £ n <} the prevention of disorderly conduct. Returned soldiers may tor themselves turn up the records m *™nsard" of the speeches of Prohibition M P.'s in Parliament when the «cr..j. closing question was before the House. They will find there unfounded-state-ments about the frightful condition ot drunkenness in which .the soldiers were taken back to camp each night from Lambton Station. Fortunatelj, a committee of memtiers, ™ moderate views made special in vesications and were able to. £/»*•£ Parliament the slanders *«** . Jg* levelled against the men. All sensible Sle realised, as you did yourselves, that a few men got "oyer the odds, but the object of the Prohibitioniste was to brand the whole ot the men in the hope of .securing an advantage for their propaganda. • , During the five years of war the Moderate League has done its beat to preserve the liberty of the subject and at the same time endeavour to have the liquor laws amended along sensible lines to bring about a better service and remove all reproaches The League holds that under btnte 1> rchafe g and Control, great mprovements can be made without ing in any way on personal V««g and free choice in this matter. The tone has every confidence that with the larger experienw gainedJ>> thh soldiers in their service overseas the uo at the forthcoming poll mav be safely trusted to their good judgment as before: but would in conclusion, again point out hat it Prohibition is once earned the aw provides that it shall bs for all time

and that no further vote : will be u.«.en oa we liquor quesvion.m fSew Zealand. The League would .'also point out that to vote against Prohibition electors must strike out two lines on the ballot paper, -,: Yours faithfully, '- D. M. FINDLAY, ' President. B. A. ARMSTRONG, Dominion Secretary. *