_Facts in “Grimsby News,” July 30, 1915_
A drunken sergeant was found forcibly detaining a girl at Hornsey.
On the police interfering, the drunken soldier drew his bayonet.
_Facts in “Daily News,” September 7, 1916_
Three splendid-looking fellows, minesweepers, were traveling on the
Highland Railway. “All were married men,” said a fellow passenger,
“happy and proud of their homes, and they spoke with ache still in
their hearts something of their lives and work. Well, these men
succumbed during the journey. A change of trains was their
opportunity, and I left them in a nearly helpless condition.”
_Facts in “The Spectator,” April 8, 1916_
A lady visited a soldier’s wife and found her at home with all her
clothes in pawn. Her husband and brother had both been home from the
Front, and in one week had spent £8 on drink.
_Facts in the “Cork Constitution,” Dec. 10, 1915_
A labourer, home from tunnelling work at the Front, was fined 13_s._
for drunkenness on his 33rd appearance, having spent £45 in seven
days.
_Facts in “Daily News,” Oct. 11, 1916_
A disabled soldier was selling papers in Kingsway, London. He was
proud of his military record and the character his colonel gave him.
He was trying to compound for a pension; he thought he would settle
for £50. “Mind you,” said he “there is not a better character in
London than mine, and I shall get the £50. Then I shall have a
month’s booze.” “What, with that fine character of yours?” a
gentleman said to him. “Yes,” said the man, “when I came home, and
could leave the hospital, there was £50 due to me, and I had a
regular booze.”
_Facts known to the Author_
A soldier with twelve years’ clean record in the Army was sentenced
for felony after being made drunk by his friends.
_Police Records of Southport, January 9, 1915_
No Government has ever received more warnings than the three war
Governments have received concerning drink. There is no room for them
here, but we may call a few witnesses such as cannot be ignored by a
nation looking forward to the day when millions of men will be home
again.
A house in Westminster reeked with filth and drink and drunken
overseas soldiers, “and it would be better,” said the Crown
Solicitor, “if power were given to the police to sweep such places
off the earth.”
_Westminster Police Records, Aug. 1916_
A sapper seaman was found dead at the quay. Another seaman said his
friend had seven drinks. They left the publichouse arm-in-arm, and
went to the quay. There he saw a corporal, who was boatswain for the
night, and was drunk. Leaving the sapper, he got the corporal into
the boat, and went back for his friend, but the sapper had
disappeared.
The lieutenant: “The deceased was one of the quietest boys who had
ever been on the ship, and one of the best oarsmen. The whole
trouble was that it was pay day.”
The Coroner: “Prohibition during the war would be a blessing to all.
It seems to be a very rotten state of affairs.”
The foreman: “Drink.”
The lieutenant: “Prohibition would be the best thing.”
The Coroner: “This poor man, unfortunately, is one of many.”
_Facts in “Western Daily Mercury,” January 8, 1917_
A publican at Dover was fined £20 for selling a bottle of whisky to
a sailor. The Admiral said drink undermined the efficiency of the
patrol vessels, and those who supplied it directly assisted the
enemy, and might be the cause of the loss of very many lives.
_Police Records of Dover, October 6, 1916_
A private in the Northumberland Fusiliers, aged 23, was charged with
burglary while drunk. His father and three brothers were in the
Army. He took part in the battle of Loos, was wounded at Salonika,
and was recommended for distinction for helping to save a wounded
officer.
During the whole of Christmas leave he was drinking, made drunk by
his friends who were probably proud of his having held part of a
trench against a German bombing party. His captain described him as
a good soldier in peace, and brave in action—a man whose disgrace
would be felt by the regiment.
Mr. Justice Rowlatt said everyone was hoping for the time when
millions of brave men would come home after facing incredible
dangers, and we must look forward almost with terror to having these
men exposed to drink and its temptations. What would be the state of
the country in such a case unless we could make a clean sweep of
drink? We should have to face this question over and over again, and
the sooner we faced it the better.
_Records of Derbyshire Assizes, February 1917_
Whoever allowed soldiers or sailors to drink to excess, said the
Mayor of Tynemouth, should be tried by court-martial for treason. He
would be recreant in his duty to God, to himself, and to the
citizens, if he did not call attention to the brutalising of so many
townspeople and the callous conduct of the “waster” element in the
drink trade. He had no quarrel with those who conducted their
business properly.
_Facts in Tynemouth papers, February, 1915_
The Aldershot command appealed for the closing of half the
publichouses, to save the men from temptation when the troops are
demobilised and return with their pockets full of money.
_Record of Workingham Licensing Sessions, 1917_
The _Army and Navy Gazette_, in an article disapproving of the
Prohibition Campaign, issues a terrible warning which should be
printed on the door of the room in which the Army Council meets.
These are its words:
“It is on record that towards the end of the siege of Sebastopol rum
was made too regular an issue, with the result that almost every
soldier who survived to return home became a drunkard.”
The siege of Sebastopol lasted less than a year, and that is the work of
the rum issue for a few months. If rum does that in months, what will it
do in years?
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