THE "WET" CANTEENS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2386, 16 February 1915, Page 6

THE "WET" CANTEENS

EXPLANATION BY CHAPLAIN. MAJOR GRANT. With reference to the establishment of "wet" canteens at tho New Zealand-; ers' camp in Egypt, tho following reference is made n* letter from Chap-lain-Major Grant to the necessity therefor:— "Connected with tho camp arc sevo ral canteens and tea and coffee tents* As your readers know, there is no such' thing as a licensed liquor seller ill: Egypt—any Tom, Dick, or Harry, or their Egyptian equivalents, can sell on hawk about liquor, and some of tho stuff so peddled is, in the language of an old book, .'feafully and wonderfully made. A bottle which a mail hauled on board at Port Said was properly, sealed and labelled with the name of a* respectable linn. It was seized by tha* authorities and analysed, and found to' contain absolutely nothing but methylated spirits, and—well, the other ingredients are unprintable. The meix-a have been well warned as to the dan-v ger of. drinking this potent 'heil-tire/i and a canteen ior the sale of beer under* certain, restrictions has been opened iu« the camp in the hope that the men "who*, feel they must have alcoholic refresh-! ments will drink the beer and avoid.! everything they are offered in the city.. From the point of view of my prohibition friends the provision of a wet canteen seems to be the lesser of two evils. It is quite certain that men who want it will go to the city for it if it is not provided in the camp."