The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-04-01
KING READY TO STOP
HIS USE OF LIQUOR
British Monarch Willing to Set an Elk
ample by Barring It in the
Royal Household.

LONDON, April /. - letter from
King George private secretary, Lord
Stamfordham, to the exchequer, has
added the King S plea to that of the
ship owners and, in some cases, that
of the labor leaders themselves, that
some vigorous measures be adopted to
cope with the question of drunkenness,
which, it is urged, is having the eff
feet of delaying the delivery of NUM-
tions of war.
The King has volunteered, if it is
considered advisable, personally to give
up the use of all alcoholic liquors and
to issue an order against their use in
the royal households. Such a notifiea-
ton was sent to Mr.. Lloyd Geore.
which reads as follows:
buckingham Palace, March. 50.
Dear Chancellor of the Exchequer:
| The King thanks YOU for so PROMPT
| ly letting him have full report of
1.-THE proceedings at yesterday s meeting
| of the deputation Of employers. His
! Majesty has read it with intense in
terest, but also with the deepest con
Germ. He feels that nothing but the
most vigorous measures will success
fully cope with the grave situation
now existing in our armament fac
tories.
/ We have before rs the statements
mot merely of the employers but OF
the admiralty and the war office
which are responsible for munitions
of war and for the transport of troop.
and their food and ammunition. From
this evidence it is without doubt
largely due 10 drink that we are IN
able to secure the output of war ma
terial indispe able to meet the re
quirements OF the army in the field
and that there has been such seriou
delay, in consequence, Of the necessary
: reinforcements of supplies to aid on
, gallant troops at the front
I A continuance Of such q state o
things must inevitably result in tn
f prolongation of the horrors and burden
= of this terrible war.
l am instructed to add that. if it b
y deemed advisable, the King will b
prepared to set an example by givin
up all alcoholic liquors himself and b
v issuing orders against its consumptio
in the royal households, so that II
: difference shall be made, so far as hi
0 Majesty is concerned, between I'll
treatment Of the rich and the poor j
II this question. STANFORDHAN.
n The question OF drink and its effee
: on the work which is considered nece
= isary for the successful prosecution {
d the war overshadows at the present MI
d ment everything else in public interes
4 The press and the public favor SON
: drastic measures, majority Of RI
i newspapers expressing the belief thi
D. total prohibition, applied 10 all classe
1 bn
- ever, has not yet reached q decisic
= on the question, although, if Mr.. Llov
- George and Lord Kitchener the w,
~ secretary, have their way, II is belev,
), that there will be total prohibition.
- To bring this about the eovcrnme,
must have an act Of Parliament paSse
G. 1t is pointed out that to prohibit II
" sale of liquor only in the Iocahti
n where men are engaged in the man
e. facture of munitions would cause
great cutlery, and that, aside from tot
If prohibition, apparently the only W;
TO deal with the matter is . furth
curtailment of the hours of sale. Sor
- persons favor prohibiting the sale
8. spirits, but allowing the sale Of be
e. and wine. 1t is understood. howev,
If that the leaders of this plan would II
- be satisfied except with the most stri
IS gent restrictions.
y The matter will require long consi
~ Grafton, for there are the questions
p compensation and the finding of q
J. lployment for the thousands of men a,
women who would be thrown out
- work.
- At meeting Of the Glasgow lou
&c dealers it was decided to ask Mr. Lilo
&c George to receive a deputation frt
- them, which will suggest a drastic
an duction in the hours for the sale
ys liquor. The same deputation will &c
al. fer with the labor leaders.