Evening journal., 1916-08-22
FIND DRINK BILL
CROWS IN BRITAIN
Nation Now Spends $780,
900 Daily for Intoxicants.
Say Temperance Ad-
vocateS
RESTRICTIVE MEASURES
URGED FOR EFFICIENCY


pounds a day is being spent In this
country on drink. according TO the
calculations OF persons employed by
the United Kingdom Alliance and
other temperance bodies. II is fur
ther asserted that the figures for the
six months ended June 80 last show
that despite the regulations OF the
Control Board designed to restrict
consumption Of alcohol the amount |
spent In intoxicating liquor per cap |
ita is considerably more than the
amount per capita during the first
six months of 1916
This Is Economy Week" and in the |
schools and from the pulpits. at lee /
tures and at extemporarized meetings |
in factories. by pamphlets and adver-
tisements and appeals in the newspa |
pers the nation is being urged TO re-
duce expenditures in some shape or
form and 10 invest the money thus
saved in war loan script Among all /
The appeals made 10 the public none
has attracted So much attention as a
series OF articles contributed by Ar
thur Mec to The Daily Chronicle and
number Of provincial papers. Some
extracts present a striking picture:
The drink bill since the war began
must have reached $500 900. Itl
should s'agger a man and make him
blush with shame We must have
spent more money for drink than we
have spent on shells and we have gone
on spending while Mr.. Asquith's
words ring out that we need every
penny-worth OF strength TO win the
war, Men talk Of 100000 aeroplanes
10 end the war but we shall soon
have spent enough on drink in war
time to buy 100000 aeroplanes. and
we must have spent enough already
10 have fed with cartridges every ma
chine gun on the British front since
the war began I think II would be
true 10 say that we have poured more
OF our financial strength into this
trade since August, 1914 than we
have actually fred away in France.
Here is text for the people. They
are paying more for everything. and
they pay more for three reasons; Be-
cause produce. shipping and labor are
scarce There is not one of these
things in which drink Is not largely
responsible. Bread Is dearer hecauae
drink has used up corn enough during
the war to feed the nation for 300
days and sugar enough 10 feed the
nation for 20 days Shipping Is scarce
because drink has used up shippinl'
space equal TO fleet OF twenty very
iarge ships working all the time A.
10 labor. drink uses up the strength
of 100000 workers. and imposes a
carrying and lifting burden OF 100000
tons a week on our roads and rail-
ways
What would he the effect on prices
II all this produce and shipping and
labor we're released for useful things?
What would be the effect in speeding
up the war II all OF the energy used
up by drink were put into munitions? q?
il would cheaper nearly everything:
II woulh shorten the war and cut
down our casualties II would free
enough money TO send 10000. 900
cartridges a day to the British front.
or three Queen Elizabeths a fortnight
10 Admiral Jelicoe
Example OF Russia.
Russia. wanting strength and
money. tho, found both in prohibition.
which has increased her efficiency 80
per cent. and intrenched her finances
as I'M a rock; France. putting this
this thing away from her. has cover.
ed herself with immortal glory and
astonished the world, lt was the
Kitchener way, but IL Is Russia ant
France. and not the land Of Kitch
ener, that follows H. We fight OF
with our broken strength. We pa,
f5,000,000 a day 10 beat the Kaisei
and carry on Lord Kitcheners work
and for fl.0OO.00o a week we license
power that plays the Kaiser's gam,
by weakening England and keep
back the harvest OF Lord Kitchener
work
AR Nee draws particular attention
o what he calls The danger 20 thu
navy"
1T Is over fifteen months" h,
writes. since Admiral Tudor pre-
sented TO the Cabinet his terrible
record of the effects OF drink on worl
being done for the Admiralty: and
week before that Admiral Jellico him
self had been so anxious that he sen
an urgent message begging that some.
thing should be done. He hoped the
Admiralty would not think him exceed
Ing his sphere OF action, hut the Eff
ciency Of the fleet was so affecte,
that he felt il his duty to wire. Their,
are also the warnings OF Captain
Greatorex, Director OF Naval Eouip
ment. who said the only solution sng
gest1on was 10 close. partially or 10
falling. all public houses. and o
Captain Bartelot. who begged 70
some leading statesman 10 speal
plainly on this subject. and pleade,
'orcibly for the total prohibition 70
spirits AS the most effective act tha
Gould be taken 10 win the war. add
ing that any measure less drasti,
VIII he curse As II that wero moi
'nough we find the reports Of dozen
'i ofhcial investigators all telling IN
same terrible tale.
Particularly tragic. i'm view Of on
shortage of torpedo craft. Is the warn
ng of the superintendent Of tho build
ing of torpedo boat destroyers. tia
some form of enlisted ianor SCENE
he only way TO meet the dificultv M
less restrictions could be imposed q
public houses. There is on recor
90 the suggestion conveyed to n
Admiralty by an officer overseeing n
construction OF vessels on the Mort
srn Coast that prohibition Of rspiri
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