SOLDERS AND DRINK

Thames Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 18384, 4 July 1917, Page 2

SOLDERS AND DRINK

Mr Wowls', of Pollen St., received a letter some tune ago from Capetown in which the following reference was made to his son, and incidentally to 'the precautions now being tibken in Capetown to guard against soldiers on troopships obtaining liquor. 'Your son called in to see us aSouit three weeks ago. I felft pleased to think your son was not on the troopship that came to this port the following week, as they must Gave been from some of the lowest parts of New Zealand ari& Australia. The enclosed slip is one o f many, which will give you same idea how ithey behaved while at Capetown. Since then as soon as a troopship, arrives all public houses axe closed.''

Tlie cutting referred to was a letter from the president of the W.C.T.U., and contained the following sentence bearing on the subject: May I appeal through your columns to -the women of Capetown to support the meeting to be held on Monday afternoon in the hall of the Railway Institute, to urge for greater restrictions of the sale of liquor during the var? For weeks past we .have seen the humiliating sight of brave "■ young fellows "in uniform reeling about our^ streets whenever a troopship conies into port. This evening, as- 1 write, the stieets are crowded with drunken men, who are making the night hideous with their shouts and noise. Is it for this that wives are giving 'their husbands and mothers {heir sons? These men are proud to wear the King's uniform, but, alaa, many of them when faced by the temptations of Cape Town forget their manhood, and become the laughing stock of the coloured people, who should be hen* ouring them.