BRITAIN'S SHAME.

White Ribbon, Volume 22, Issue 264, 18 June 1917, Page 5

BRITAIN'S SHAME.

There were used in the manufacture of cigarettes in Aus;ralia during the year 1915-16, 3101 gallons of rum, 402 gallons of whisky, and 952 gallons of canary spirit. Ru n is most favoured, for the same reason that makes it the choice of the British War Office — it is tiie cheapest and coarsest of spirits.

An Australian troopship arrived at .1 West Afi.can port. An order came from the shore that no men were to be allowed to land because men from a foimer ship had got drunk and created a disturbance. For a week the men gazed longingly shorewards, and then the authorities conceived the bright idea of closing the bars. The men were allowed to land, and there was no trouble.

WASTE OF FOODSTUFFS ON DRINK MANUFACTURE. A reply by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to Sir Robert Balfour showed that in the year which ended September 30th, 1916, there was used in the manufacture of beer in the United Kingdom 41,605,365 bushels of malt, 77,776 bushels of unmalted corn, *•343,930 cuts, of rice and maize, and -.399,836 cwts. of sugar. The distilleries in the same period consumed *•*03,958 quarters of malt, 1,414,435 quarters of unmalted grain, 7640 cwts. of rice, and 822,301 cwts. of molasses. Sir Robert Balfour drew attention to the fact that the barley used in the manufacture of beer in the year 191516 represented in weight ont million tons, and that the barley used in the distilleries in the same year amounted to 200,000 tons. Unmalted grain and molasses consumed in the distilleries amounted to 545,000 tons. Great Britain spends annually in strong drink 1 (>4 million pounds, and destroys 70,300,000 bushels of grain, 1,600,000 cwts. of rice, 4,400,000 cwts. of sugar and molasses, and other foodstuffs too numerous to mention. Over 460,000 persons are engaged in the manufacture and distribution of liquor, most of w horn could be set free for national service at home or abroad. Parliamentary War Savings Committee (I.ondun) says : “Immense quantities of food materials, such as barley, wheat and maize, are used in this

country for the manufacture of beer and spirits. As beer and spirits are almost valueless as foods, and can only be classed as luxuries pure and simple, all this grain Is lost for food purposes. If this grain were available for food, both for man and beast, the prices of bread and meat would be lowered.

The National War Saving Committee express the conviction that in tht first twenty months of the war at least 2,500,000 tons of food and feeding stuffs —barley, rice, sugar, maize—and 2,250,000 tons of coal, have been destroyed in the making of drink in the United Kingdom. Shipping for the transport of at least 1,400,000 tons of imported material and drink has had to be provided, and home transj>ort for at least 12,500,000 tons of manufactured drink, or 250,000 tons per week. The drink trade consumes more sugar than the entire army. Besides this, it uses 500,000 workers, 1.000,000 acres of land, and 1,500,000 tons of coal a year.

Tor the second time, the Glasgow Town Council has declared in favour of prohibition for the period of the war.

In spite of shortened hours, Great Britain still spends ,£scx>,ooo per day in strong drink. Daily Great Britain puts down its throat, in the shape of alcoholic drink the price of 80,000,000 cartridges or 200 aeroplanes a day, or three super-Dreadnoughts every fortnight.

The leading women of France, headed by suffragists, society women and writers, this week embarked on an energetic anti-alcohol crusade. They declare that a large percentage of the ravages of death are due to alcohol, which constitutes the greatest blight on the Republic, and that it is necessary to start a reform for the upbuilding of France after the war.

The Minister of Defence in N.S.W. has, in view of the reports received from the Commandant 2nd Military District, approved of action being taken to close hotels in the vicinity of the Randwick Military Hospital for the sale* of intoxicating liquor to any member of His Majesty’s forces whilA in uniform.

PROHIBITION AS A WAR MEASURE. The Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, representing thirty denominations, having a membership of 18,000,000, in session in New York City on April 22, sent a message to the President and Congress urging the passage of a nationwide prohibition Bill as a war measure.

With but one dissenting vote, the Philadelphia County Medical Society, representing more than 1000 of the city’s most prominent physicians, recently went on record against the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages during the period of the war.

The Minnesota Public Safety Commission, the War Board of the State, has established a dry zone of 2} miles around Fort Snelling military reservation.

The British War Office, influenced by petitions from the Canadian Women’s Christian Temperance Union and other organisations and individuals, has decided to stop the issue of the infamous rum ration to Canadian soldiers unless ordered by a commanding officer on the recommendation of a medical man. This practically means that the rum ration is abolished, as few medical men whose opinions are worth anything would recommend the issue of rum.—‘'Spectator, February 7, 1917.

In reply to a deputation, Mr Lloyd George said: “It would be a national disaster to reinstate the liquor traffic on the old basis during the period of demobilisation.’’