IS THE ARMY DRY?

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2329, 10 December 1914, Page 7

IS THE ARMY DRY?

' '■ ' - —— —0 AN'-AUTHORITATIVE STATEMENT. Commenting on this question of the Army and alcoholic drinks, the United Service Gazette"—the journal of' His Majesty's Forces—for August 20 says :— While every precaution will be taken to discourage and prevent intemperance, the fact is not ignored that a stimulative drink is necessary to meet the needs and recruit the energies of many thousands of young troops unaccustomed-to having their physical powers unusually taxed. And the same paper on September 24 further saye:— , Tho two drinks which must Tie oarried by every officer's mess aro whisky and port wine. And again in another issue:— Port wine is the chief drink in almost every mess. Further contradiction of the wholly mistaken notion.that there is any desire on the part of the authorities to make or have the British Army a teetotal army is furnished by tho fact that the 30,000 Canadian troops now in England making ready for battle against the foe purchase Tegularly ■ for consumption 2000 barrels of beer a week, while the quantity of beer supplied to tho other parts of the British Army now under arms . in England is 16,000 barrels a week. There is no foundation for the asser- . tion that tho prohibition of alcoholic beverages in the British Army has oven been contemplated by the War Office. Absolutely none. —Published by arrangement.

In addition to daily rations, soldiers on active service carry emergency raiona which may only be used by .ordter of a superior officer. All the 250 chauffeurs required by tho War Office to go to the front as motor ambulance drivers were secured.within a few hours. As evidence has reached the,; Board of Trade that notwithstanding the prohibition of the export of sugar from Holland by the Netherlands Government. • German merchants are' disposing or thenproduce and obtaining payment through Holland, the British Government: has had to forbid the import of this produce through Holland.