The White Ribbon. For God and Home and Humanity. THURSDAY. MARCH 18, 1915. PRO PATRIA.

White Ribbon, Volume 20, Issue 237, 18 March 1915, Page 9

The White Ribbon. For God and Home and Humanity. THURSDAY. MARCH 18, 1915. PRO PATRIA.

“Dultc ct decorum est mori pro patria. ' So said the ancient Roman, and to do him justice lie never grudged to give hi> life tor the defence of his fatherland. The spirit which animated Horatius burned with equal intensity of the humblest of his countrymen—- “ For how can man die better Than facing fearful odds, For the ashes of his fathers And the* temples of hi- gods?' And so it has ever been, and t io day is \wth every nation th.it ha- attained to anything like a world empire or a

world supremacy. Such superiority has ever been won by the perfect willingness of every citizen to shed the last drop of their blood for their country. As our modern patriotic poet sings—“if blood be the pi ice of Admiralty, Ford God we ha’ paid it all.’’ All around us to-day is stirring the same spirit. From Canada’s snoutlad forests to India’s steaming plains, all across Australia’s mighty continent, even to New Zealand’s seagirt isle, young men and old are offering their lives to defend their country. Our F.mpirc is pacing through a fiery trial, and her sons and daughters, fiery (hill and stolid Saxon, Canada’s sturdy sons, Ausr ilia’s fair daughters, the citizens of self-governing dominions, the soldiers ; f protected native States, are all standing shoulder to shoulder as a mighty brotherhood to defend the justice and freedom which British rule stands for. We honour them for their devotion. We do not doubt their loyalty, their courage they have proved upon many a well-fought field. Hut we think that there is one thing which calls for an even loftier courage than to die for <ountry, i.e., to live for it. By that 1 mean to live worthy of a fatherland and a heritage such as ours. So many sons of the F.mpirc willing to fight her enemies are not willing to dis< ipline themselves for greater clficicncy. What a pathos attaches to the short terse sentences which tell u> that these young men who have gone forth so eager to meet the foe have returned unfit to do battle for their country because they have fallen victims to their lower and basei selves. It was openly stated in the House of Commons that between 30 and 40 per cent, of the men then in training were unfit to go to the front “through what in military language is called preventable disease, and that in plain English means wine and women.” A telegram in our papers from an Australian State speaks of soldiers returned incapable from the front because of “certain diseases.” Think of it! While our Empire is fighting for her very existence, 30 per cent, of its defenders drop out of the ranks because they were unable “to hold the sceptre human soul, and rule thy kingdom * f ’he brute.” Even here the military camps have to be weeded from wasters, those who by indulging passion become unfit to

fight. How arc wc helping these men? Public opinion is their greatest enemy. It is openly taught that wine is a necessity. Many say, “If you declare hotels out of bounds you must give soldiers a wet canteen at camp.” Why? Does alcohol increase a soldier’s efficiency? The heads of army and navy don’t think so. The late Lord Roberts said, “13,000 abstaining soldiers will do as much and more work than 15,000 drinkers.” Captain Ogilvey, a noted gunner instructor, says he has gone carefully into statistics, and found that the shooting efficiency of the men was 30 per cent, worse after ‘he rum ration than before it, the ration being only one-eighth of a pint. Lord Wolseley, in speaking of the splendid health of troops in Soudan, said it was due to the fact that from the time they entered until they quitted it they were not supplied with spirits. Sir Francis Grenfell says the campaign in the Soudan was a teetotal campaign, and at its close “in no other part of the world have 1 seen a force of men so fit and so well.'’ Admiral Lord Charles Bercsford said: “I do not believe that alcohol in any form ever has done or ever will do anybody any good.” Vet in spite of all this weight of evidence from army doctors and leaders, we still treat it as necessary that our men should have strong drink. Russia has forbidden vodka, and France absinthe, and is England, the other ally, so dominated by brewery interests tha’ she dare not forbid the liquor which is marring the efficiency of her men. Mr Lloyd George, speaking recent’y, said that the Government had great powers over the liquor trade, and would use them if necessary. Employers said that engineers turned out 30 per cent, less work because of the drinking habit. Our country requires every man at his best. We do not doubt the Government’s power, but we do doubt its wilLngness to offend large vested interests. In regard to the other evil, impurity, that, too, is treated as a necessity. Public opinion is not yet quite ready to endorse the W.C.T.L*. formula, “A white life for two.” The commandant at a garrison town in England recently, when waited upon in regard to an attempt to revive ’ne C.D. Acts, said ho was not concerned to prevent vice, but to prevent disease. That cannot be done. All army < xperts agree that ail attempt* a< regulation of vice arc only ghastly

failures, and if the young man wants to be fit he must obey the injunction, “Keep thyself pure.” There is yet another aspect of this case. When every other nation permitted the sale of liquor we all stood upon an equal footing Bui now Russia has forbidden ii, the United States is more than half dry, and the other half rapidly becoming so. If alcohol lessens efficiency, the nation to abjure its use must become the most ettu lent. W hen other nations become sober, when their artisans, their leaders, their statesman all work with increased efficiency, assuredly we shall be left behind. ’f the British Umpire wants to hold the front rank, she too must banish this evil, this race-destroyer. It will tell much even now, as Russia is proving, hut what of the next generation. When children are born of sober parents, when they inherit no alcoholic taint, how much must they excel in the industrial world the nerve-racked, inefficient consumer of strong drink. 1 hese are things that ail true patriots should deeply study. National sin brings national deterioration. We talk of the evils of trusts and ask ♦or legislation against them. The deadliest monopoly, the most gigantic trust, is the Liquor trade. May our Umpire arise in its strength, and cast off tnis “old man of the seas.”