A CUP OF KINDNESS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 285, 30 November 1914, Page 2

A CUP OF KINDNESS.

150,000 GALLONS FOP THE FRONT. (“Daily Chronicle,” London, October 6th, 1914.) With timely forethought for the welfare of the British soldier during a prospective winter campaign, the War Office is sending to the front a consignment of 150,000 gallons of rum. The bottling of this quantity, which in ordinary circumstances would probably represent an excise duty of something like £60,000, is being undertaken by the Port of London Authorities, and the Rum Quay at the West India Docks offers a scene of exceptional activity even for a department which is accustomed to deal with thousands of puncheons in the course of a year.

The huge vats at the West India Docks, which have an 'aggregate capacity of 58,500 gallons, are, of course, available for the blending of this army rum. All of it is genuine sugar-cane produce, requiring no addition of spirit, since it is already much over proof. Some of it was imported in 1911, and some in succeeding years, but the age is not necessarily indicated by the date of importation. Emerging from the vats 4,5 per cent, under proof, the rum is measured by the gallon and passed through funnels in. to stoneware jars of the customary type, and each of one gallon capacity. The jars are then corked and sealed with the seal of the Port Authority. EASY DISTRIBUTION. The next stage is the packing of the rum. For convenient handling it is placed in wooden cases, which accommodate a couple of jars. The case is kept to a size which can easily be' lifted by one man, so as to give as little trouble as possible in distributing the rum among widely-scattered troops. Each case bears an intimation that it forms part of the army supplies. About 3000 jars of rum are sent away each day. The destination is Newhaven, via Willow Walk railway station. From the Sussex port the consignments go to the most convenient Continehtal port, thereafter to* be forwarded to the base of operations. Large supplies of jars, of which a total of 150,000 will of course be required, arrive daily at the West India Docks. • h With the active co-operation of the Customs the work of bottling proceeds until 6 p.m., instead of 4 p.m., as is usual in the case of bonded warehouses. • In this way, and with the employment of a large staff of men, this big War Office order is in process; of careful execution. This is a complete refutation of the prohibitionists’ wicked allegations, and we trust that no more will be heard of the moderate use of alcoholic stimulants impairing the morale and efficiency of the bravest and best soldiers in the world. *