TEMPERANCE NOTES

Thames Star, Volume LII, Issue 13940, 19 July 1919, Page 4

TEMPERANCE NOTES

(By; "Aj«s.")

To-day wie celebrate the coming of ,peace. It is fitting that tih&re should. 1 be one day s©D apart -when. v& (ban give expresi'on' .to our joy that the stress and straia of the last five ' years is over;. Germany is ■beaten, and : ifchough the terms of the treaty may press haoxl on her citizens, tiheyj are; just, iandi give; a. ohance ,for a gsreafler Germany to arise. With the ejiniinationi of the military spirit the people's energies "wrili he concienitrated: on the arts of peace, and byj service to the other countries. Germany can work out her own. salvation.

To England's eternal credit she is insisting on the trial of the exKaiser, and his co-workers, for their contemptuous breaElng of international law.

It is wrong to lay the 'blame on the common aoldiers • or try to charge the horrore >■ of the sacking of Belgium and) Northern! tranoe wholly on the pillage of the wine cellars. The crime against humanity was greatest because it was deliberately planned by the 'autocrat and his staff in,cold .blood. Let vs 1 truly thank God Liberty still lives, .and the Union Jack waves proudly on land and sea from pole to pole. When the rejoicings are over the question of a, fitting memorial to this great victory will have to toe decided. Some people are advocat-,; in tihe forming, of a great highway from the Bluff to the North Cape (these may foe owners, of motorcars). The 'best memorial to my thinkimgi would be: the establishing of happy homes. Our boys have had from three to 'four years out absolutely out of their , lives. Those who have escaped "being wounded!, shieJE-fehloctoedl lor gassed, if they have beeni within sound of the guns, must have suffered' with their nertves from the gitrain. If they had vim they had to see .as much of the "Old Dart", or other countries! aiS possible. This would take their cash, and who cam 'blame iSiem. i T<wl!a.y, thoifusands of these boys are with, us again, .andi have now to face the resiponsibilitiesi of life. The Government is lending money, iw fairmers and btihers, / (but unless the meni have had ipreviousi experi-' eiice, they will be up against a hard propjofiitdon, andi willi .feeJi dubious aboutl asking the girl to share their J'pnospect. •■."■'' My suggestion is that for the next two years' the State should dower soldier 'brides to the extent of ,£2'sO. Our soldier iboys have saved; "vs £4,500,000, which would haive gone ] into tihe brewers' pockets. Why not let it go to help make a contented and happy people.