The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-24
SOLDIER FROM FRONT
SAYS ABOLISH BOOZE

public than that repreeented by the
readers OF thu Oxford Diocesan Ga
zette and these pages
Death snd wounds, bereavement.
sickness, anxiety and poverty are
everywhere. and mo vchtna with them
may be seen hippant irreligion, gross
self-induigence, sexual license, and all
the immoral prodnoti of war.
When the survivors return, the solf-
fnduleent must necessarily assume a.
sayety more reckless. even. than their
most contemplate excuses of these
days-it will be their only excuse to
the dead. the wretched and the
MANNED. For the rost hesrtlessr--
ano they are many-there will be a
reckoning 81 via=~ 4 tomorrow y iii
De very neal when accounts will have
TO be rendered by Taithlees wives by
dishonest friends. by profteers by
all the pleasure -reeking crew who
care for nothing but their own enjoy
! ment. When the war ends and their
time is short, these enemies or the
country will surely drink deeper and
laugh louder than ever. pretending to
welcome the returning armies in the
endeavor to con oeal --even from them
seives-their fe&H
NOW Oh the }neh, Ii Ia mere thA,
va have to face facts and fout senti :
nenta lily. God forbid that we should
belittle one single heroic thought or
act o. all the thousands upon thou
sands of Gallar' aspirations and most
no.able deeds that during the war
have been added to the treasures OF
Britain's temple OF glory But Il IL
only very foolish person who imay-
mes that every man in Khaki is a hero
who may be trusted to act as a Chev-
alter sans peur ct Sam reproche We
would not willingly dispa rage the
conscripted as such But facts are
( fects, and 1t is 9 mere matter OF fact
that in the army there is an immense
number of men WHO have only be-
come soldiers when they were com
| PEELED to do so. who are OF all ages
ND 10 forsy-ore, and who. being called
/ IN. have, to a large extent, left the
! patronage OF the prsfiic house to their
women folk. Further. there is A. very
! large number OF Just ordinary men.
/ As the writer OF the letter truly says
and it applies to hundreds of thou
/ sands-there is the great section COM
, posed OF men who know no restraint
! but the discipline of the army
/ self-pity and self admiration are not
| lacking in these DAYS. IT would be
strange II the universal sentimentality
or the press had not created large
amount of selfesteem. Apply TO this
the fire of public adiilation expressed
in the form Of proffered drink and
the results will out-mafick anything
| that has ever been known. In the
South African war the men were
| comparatively u handful. They were,
| moreover. genuine volunteers-either
regulars or temporary enlistments
| There were no r and G classes in
those days. IN mind and body the
South African troops were the cream
of the nation and the creme DE- la
creme were the long service naval
men Yet even they were not proof
AGAINST the Establishments of the idi-
otto public and their LIQUOR. The
South African war was n s!sirmish In
comparison with the great war and
the peace that followed ii no more
than delightful ending to trouble
some affair, When the international
peace is procla lined ii will mean that
the passion music of the worlds agony
will be changed into the haifeiujah
chorus of general resurrection, and
even in that hour il will remain an un-
changeable truth that to be carnally
minded is death.
South Africa should have taught
US something. The national need that
found its reply in the present drastic
liquor regulations ought TO have told
the nation and the government a
great deal more. As the second best
of our old army modified to face the
dangers of European wartare drunk
ards among soldiers and civilians
shocked ne rliament into quite un-
heard OF action. When the perils are
past and the strain of three years Of