The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-10-29
No TREATING In Londo1,

i ONDON has followed the Waikiki example
- and the law in the biggest city of the world
now is "no treating" Though designed mainly to
check the custom of providing free liquors to SOL
diers from the front - especially those who are
about to depart again for the trenches-the order
heNeftfieIess is applicable to everybody, and its
violation will bring upon the offender heavy fine
or imprisonment or both, Hereafter, except in
the privacy of the home, the Londoner may not
Lslafe bottle or half bottle with friend There
is but one exception, and that is at meal times
Then host may provide liquor But in all saloons,
hotels and clubs the words, What will you have?"
arc tabu. .,A-... ,,,,,s
Even the exclusive army clubs are affected, and
members are asking many questions. For example
Can members wager wh;skey and sodas on
card game? ~ .,
Can drinks be ordered to seal compact, or for
toast?
Is an officer leaving for the front to be denied a
parting drink with his fellows?
Can glass accidentally upset be reflled?
Saloon keepers of London are very doeful over
the outlook, They say that, with treating barred,
the whole atmosphere of the saloon will be chang
ed Few men, it is argued like to drink alone,
and tremendous slump in trade is predicted
What constitutes a meal with which man
may buy drink for his friend will doubtless have
consist of the antiquated sandwich so familiar on
the mainland and not unknown in Honolulu re-
mains to be seen. There is, of course, the patent
suberfuge by which one man may give the person
he wishes to treat the amount required before they
enter the saloon; but this would be cumbersome,
commercial and hardly popular
Police regulations, it is said on good authority,
are about to be issued, closing all night clubs in
London, during the entire period of the war If
this reform takes place, it will come as a result
of protest by military authorities that the night
club eViP' has turned what ought to be period of
and reCupcratiOn for officers on leave from the
front into prolonged debauch which leaves the
men in a worse, condition than when they came
across from the trenches. 1t is commonly known
that in most OF the night clubs, evasion of the ten
o'clock law has been developed to fine art and
that drinks can be easily obtained at all hours of
the day and night, ~
Il am in favor Of closing down all night clubs
for the duration of the war" said Lord Athlumley,
EIrpFost marshal SNaturally enough in our super
Hi4i}n, We rarely detect anything. We must visit
them in uniform, and it is almost impossible to
effect real surprise. As for the disrcputabe night
clubs, they have about army of scouts. They
watch and report our movements and a club almost
invariably knows in advance when we may be ex-
pected.
They all look as innocent as tame doves when
we appear. We have doubt in our minds that
liquor is obtainable at many night clubs and that
is quite another matter from going into a witness
box and swearing to specific instances While we
given supervision OF these places, we have no
powers to do anything except through the courts.
The only satisfactory remedy is to close them all
down as long as the war lasts"