"DEFEAT” and "THE FIDDLERS.”

White Ribbon, Volume 23, Issue 276, 18 June 1918, Page 7

"DEFEAT” and "THE FIDDLERS.”

The Women’s Service Guild of Perth, W.A., addressed a letter to the Prime Minister and Senator Pearce, of Federal Parliament, asking that the ban placed upon the publication of "Defeat” and "The Fiddlers” should be removed. The Secretary of Defence Department in replying, gave the following reasons for refusing the request: — (1) It is considered to be most pre judicial to recruiting. It was written to support a moral reform movement in the Mother Country, and its cir< ulation in the United Kingdom ha*' been allowed on account of the exposure in its pages of certain grave local conditions susceptible of improvement, but its export from Kngland was absolutely prohibited. The people of Australia have no voice in tiie amelioration of these conditions, and, consequently, the circulation of the book in the Commonwealth could serve no useful purpose, while its potency for harm is in. alcnlaole. Many statements contain'd in this volume are such as would be most likely to have a retarding effect on recruiting, which in Australia depends wholly upon voluntary enlistment. Further, as the volume consists of a most gruesome presentment of the alleged dire result 1 of the liquor traffic in Kngland, the only effect its circulation could have would be to cause the most < ruel anxiety in the hearts of relatives of Australian soldiers in Kngland at the present time, and prevent wives and parents from allowing husbands and sons to enlist and go to a country where, according to "Defeat,” many soldiers become victims to drink and its frequent concomitant venereal disease. (2) The book is likely to cause dis* affect on to His Majesty. One effect the circulation of this book must hav° in Australia is to reduce the enthusiasm and affection of the people of this country, however intensely patriotic they may be for the Mother

C ountry, and the great cause of which she is the outstanding champion, for let the loyal Australian who has any love and affection for the heart centre of the Kmpire peruse the allegedly ♦rue accounts of the awful events caused by drink, and said to be of daily occurrence in Kngland, and he can have nothing but contempt for the Government representing His Majesty which allows such a condition to continue. (3) The book is likely to prejudice His Majesty's relations with foreign powers. I regret to state that already the Herman Propaganda Bureau has seized on the opportunity of employing certain statements in this book in an endeavour to dissuade neutrals from supplying Great Britain with grain. The argument put forward in Herman controlled papers in America to neutrals was: "Why send your grain to Britain, where it is mainly used for the British consumer of beer and whisky, while the price of bread in your own country ris°s day by day?” 14) Many statements in the book are false: —The charges ma.de against Canadian soldiers with regard to their drinking habits, and the prevalence of venereal disease hav° been denied time after time on the floor of the Canadian House, not merely in official reports, but also by Canadian oftic* rs and Members of Parliament, of the highest standing and integrity, who had been on service with that Dominion’s troops. It has to be remembered that every Australian soldier who ha -, ever been on service in Kngland is by implication included in the nauseating charges made in this publication; many of them are unable to clear themselves of such charges, having died for the cause we hold most dear. However, it might be mentioned here that the Minister has received reports demonstrating the splendid behaviour of the Australian troops in Kngland. It will accordingly be seen that the publications contravene practically

every provision of R°gulation 2<S of the War Precautions Regulations, and, apart from the int mation from the Imperial Authorities above mentioned, Prohibition would have been necessary in Australia. The Minister recognises the fact that the publi< ati uis were written with an earnest desire to combat the drink evil, but, after all, it must be admitted that the drink question, important though it m iy be, is only of secondary importance in comparison with the necessity of our straining every effort to win the war. It has be* n suggested that the objectionable parts be expunged, but this has not been found practicable, as these from a censorship standpoint comprise the bulk of th» matter set out in the publications above named. Yours faithfully, (Signed) T. TRUMBLE, Secretary. Honorary Secretary, The Women’s Service Guild, Pirth, W.\. At the request of the Women’s Service (iuild, the letters were submitted to Mr Arthur Mee, and the following reply received from him: Dear Miss Newcomb,- - Very many thanks for your courtesy. I am very glad to have tlv* papers ? ou sent me, and am grateful *..* the women of Western Australia for their interest. I wish you would please be good enough to writ** and thank them for me, and to s.iv they may rely absolutely on the statements in my book. It is false to say that these books are false. There is no serious mis-statement in th in, and as for the particular statements that Mr Pearce speaks of concerning venereal disease, not one of these statements H my own but is attested by authority quoted from Hansard, and allowed to remain tins" months without ontradiction : n the House of Commons. It is the rseil Government camouflage to de(lire that all these things ire untrue. They are true and the Government finds it easier to deny fa<ts than to face them,

It is rather interesting to note that Mr Pearce suggests that the books are allowed circulation here because they describe a state of things capable of improvement. The inference from that is that the Government recognises the truth of the books. Mr Pearce then goes on to say that th 'y will interfere with the recruiting in Australia because any Australian would have a great contempt for the Hr it ish Government if it failed to act in the face of such facts. That is the whole case. Our Government flings our Colonial troops into conditions where the drink traffic lays its traps for them. It will not extend to them the protection that the Dominion Governments extend to th n m and it is afraid to let the Kmpire know the facts about this shameful state of things. Your people do right to have a great contempt for a Government like this. It is noble and patriotic contempt, and th<* Government abundantly deserves it. Perhaps you would be good enough to send this letter on to your friends out there. Yours sincerely, (Signed) ARTHUR MF.K.