The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, January 13, 1916. TREATING SOLDIERS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1496, 13 January 1916, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, January 13, 1916. TREATING SOLDIERS.

Thk Minister for Defence in an interview at Wellington warns the public against the evil oi treating returned soldiers. After citing specific cases the Minister said : ‘‘l make this urgent appeal to the public to refrain from ‘shouting’ and ‘treating’ soldiers, and I also appeal to soldiers to refuse to accept drinks from anyone, lam sure soldiers are self-respecting and can pay for their own needs, and do not want people to help them to drinks.” The Minister said he had discussed this matter with Surgeon-General Henderson, who had expressed the opinion that the public should be appealed to through the press not to practice “shouting” in regard to returned soldiers. If a resort to an appeal proved unsatisfactory, then a law might be advantageously brought in. “We have not so far adopted much restrictive legislation,” concluded Mr Allen. “We have appealed to the public instead as necessity has arisen, and so far our appeals have been well met; and I hope it will be equally well met in this case. If we can go along in this way, it will produce a much more self-respecting people than it we had to right things by the pressure of the law rather than through the conscience of the people. I hope that the press will help us by making public this appeal.”