KITCHENER'S PLEDGE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2414, 20 March 1915, Page 8

KITCHENER'S PLEDGE

ABSTINENCE WHILE WAR LASTS A PUBLIC MEETING A publio meeting, under the auspices of the New Zealand Alliance, was lield last night in the' Concert Chamber, witli the object of promoting temperance in the community while tho war lasts, and especially of inducing soldiers and others to take tho K. of K. pledge. There were about 100 people present. The Hon. J. Allen (Minister of Defence) presided. Apologies were reeeived from Sir Rrbert Stout | and Lady Stout, Bishop Sprott, and tho Mayor (Mr, J. P. Uiko). , The Need for Efficiency. The Hon. J. Allen said it-was a very great pleasure to him to bo persent. Ha was sorry the audience was not larger, but "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump," and he was sure that if they all put their shoulders to the wheel their influence might bo felt for good. Personally lie did not sign pledges. He Loped he was strong enough to resist temptation without signing pledges, but he knew tliat there were others who were helped by tie signing of a pledge, and he thought it was the duty of those in the community who remained behind to help those who were going to sacrifice their lives as efficient as man could make them. He was sure they all felt that the issues at stake were so great that not one single effort must be spared to make the human machinery and all the other machinery that we must call to our aid as perfect as we could mako it. (Applause.) The human machinery cannot be perfect unless it was efficient at. any moment the officers in command called upon it. Men might be, and would be, called upon to endure the greatest hardships that men could possibly endure when they went to tho front, or even before they got there. His own opinion was that a man who could not control himself with regard to drink or other temptations that came to men would very likely not bo efficient unless those who had influence over him could make him sufficiently- strong to resist temptations. The people of New Zealand aid not realise how great those temptations might be. Here in New Zealand they were bad- enough, but outside of New Zealand, in the countries where our men were serving, the temptations were incomparably worse than they _ were here. It should be the aim, as it was the aim, of the Government to send our men away fit to carry out their tasks. It was his business to carry out the law, and the law said there was to be no intoxicating liquor in training camps. The clause relating to this subject was put into the Act with due deliberation. and not at a time _ of crisis like the present. The law said: ''Keep the temptations away from camp," but. the temptations came to the soldier elsewhere, and it was the duty of every man. in the community to help the soldier to withstand tho temptations c'oming from elsewhere. This was one way. of helping him—to ask him to abstain from intoxicating liquor while the war lasts. Ho was convinced that it was right to sign this pledge and to encourage others to sign it. The Words of the Pledge. The Rev. Dr. Gibb explained the object of the meeting which was to commend to the favour of the public three pledges. One Was the ordinary total abstinence pledge, one was a more complicated partial pledge specifying certain liquors permitted or not permitted, and the third was the well-known K.. of K. pledge, instituted by Earl Kitchener's sister, Mrs. Parker. The text of that pledge was as follows:—"In order that 1 may be of the greatest service to my country, and carry out tho wishes of tho Commander-in-Chief at this time of national peril, I promise until tho end of the war to abstain from all intoxicants, except when such are ordered by a doctor, and to encourage others to do the same." He spoke generally about the war emphasising the greatness of the task ahead'of tho Allies. He believed that the Germans were out not only to destroy all forms of civilisation and belief but their own, but to destroy also the Kingdom of God. Ho believed that the ruling caste in Germany preferred Odin +r> Jehovah, to use the words of one of their own writers. In view of the great issues at stake, he would say_ that everything that militated against the success of the British in the struggle should jjo. If there was anything in the habits of tho people that militated against success that thing must go. There were, he believed, many things in the life of the people of New Zealand —their irreligion, their worldliness, their frivolity—that would have to go before the people acquired the proper spirit to ensure success in this war. But most of all ho would refer to the drinking habits of the people. They all knew what Russia had done. (Applause.) England had. not gone so far, but lie would not make bold to say that they would not live to see England-, folliw Russia's example. If he read many more speeches like that of Lloyd George about tho effect of drunkenness in roducing the production of war material; he would expect to read very soon that a law had been passed in England to forbid the consumption of liquor. Ho strongly advocated the signing of tho K. of K. pledge, not only by soldiers, but by civilians. They should' not say that "You do tho fighting'and we'll do the drinking." (Applause ) Cofunel Towlev, of tho Salvation Army, spoke in support of the pledge. Ho announced also that those who signed the plcdgo would be given ■ badges to wear, the same which were' worn by the men of Kitchener's Army in England. He spoke very strongly against the practice of treating. Ho hoped' some patriotic publican would give a lead by prohibiting the practice in his hotel, and then others might follow his lead. Are We Ready fot- Victory? The Rev. A. M. Johnson offered apologies for tho absencc of Bishop Sprott, who had intended to be present, but was unable to do so. Ho was sure the movement would grow and yet be a big movement, lie said. Many were now praying for victory, but were we ready for it? Those who belic/ed that there was a moral rule in the universe did not believe that all this bloodshed and turmoil was without a purpose. Wo said that purpose was the purging of Germany, but what about the purging of our own Empire? Wore we ready for victory? Had we made adequate sacrifices Sacrifico had been defined as "Giving, giving, giving, until it hurt; and then giving, giving, giving, until you didn't mind the hurt." Those who had sent sons to the war understood that sort of sacrifice, but did all the others? lie believed in the K. of IC. pledge because it was entirely British. It was purely voluntary. There was no suggestion of compulsion about it. He appealed to those present, to sign tlioK. of K. pledge, and if not the K. of K. pledge, then the ether pledge to refrain from the practice of "treating" or "shouting." Dr. Platts-Mills alio spoke of tho

obligation resting upon people to exercise self-denial. The meeting concluded with votes of thanks to the Minister of Defence for presiding, to the speakers, and to the Misses Brittain, who had given musical items.