VISIT OF THE FLEET.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 July 1925, Page 9

VISIT OF THE FLEET.

THE LIQUOR TEMPTATION. ADMIRAL NOT ALARMED. CONFIDENCE IN THE MEN. By Telegraph.—-Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. “Evidently the liquor trade is in a highly nervous condition when it is so alarmed by a cabled statement that 1 waited on Admiral Coontz while in Honolulu in the interests of Prohibition,” said Mr. C. M. Luke, of Wellington, to-day on his arrival here by the Niagara. Mr. Luke gave a very emphatic denial to the suggestion that he had endeavoured to influence the Admiral in the matter of possible drinking among the men when the fleet is in New Zealand waters. “I desire to say,” stated Mr. Luke, “that I, w’ith a delegation from the Y.M.C.A., waited on the Admiral at Honolulu in connection with the entertainment of the men when they arrived in New Zealand, and incidentally only was reference made to the men of the fleet, who had landed at Honolulu in batches of from 8000 to 10,000 daily. I remarked upon the sobriety of the men, as 1 had not seen one drunken man ashore. I asked the Admiral if he had any fear as to the consequences when the men arrive in wet countries, and he answered that he had not, He said he relied on his men when visiting wet countries to maintain the same high conduct that had marked them in all instances.”

VISIT TO. MASTERTON. NO LIQUOR AT FUNCTIONS. Masterton, Last Night. A public meeting was held to-night to arrange for the reception of American sailors, 350 of whom are spending a day here on August 13. Five days later 50 officers will spend a day and a night as the guests of citizens. At a meeting of the executive the matter of supplying liquor at the public luncheon was discussed. Opinion was divided on the matter, but a resolution that no liquor be provided for either sailors or officers at any public function was carried without dissent.