THE Elet4e.CT OF DRLNK IN IRELAND. [To the Editor of
the SPECTATOR.] Sm,—A good many years ago a teetotal friend of mine, Mr. Alexander Guthrie, one of the sons of the great Dr. Guthrie, said to me that if whisky could be taken out of Ireland all questions and troubles would be speedily settled. At the time, while I accepted this statement, I subjected it to a certain discount such as some of us have been accustomed to apply to statements coming from our teetotal friends. Subsequently, some things I read, and in particular a lecture by Dr. Coffey, of Maynooth, called " The Enemy Within the Camp," showed me that there was far more substance in Mr, Guthrie's statement than I had supposed. This impression was strongly confirmed by what I saw when I was in Ireland in 1913, and I have become a subscriber to several Irish Tem. perance Societies. Briefly, the situation is appalling. Ir Scotland we have between 5,000 and 6,000 public-house licences, and I think all arc agreed that is far too many ; but in Ireland, with a smaller population, they have 17,000 licences, and in addition untold oceans of " poteen." I am, therefore, very strongly impressed with the belief that whisky is one of the most potent causes of Irish trouble and disorder. This fear on my part is largely confirmed by the fact that Lady Butler in her recent book has expressed the em- phatic opinion that the word " Whisky " is the appropriate inscription for the tombstone of the Irish nation. I read, I suppose, nearly everything that you write on the subject of Ireland, and I was expecting when I read your recent series of eight articles to find something dealing with what I have now submitted to you, but so far as I recall the subject is not dealt with therein. I wonder what the writer of these articles thinks about it, and I ask with great respect whether it would not be worth your while to investigate the matter and to write another article on this subject ? I am a very old reader of the Spectator.—I am, Sir, &c.,
WILLIAM MACKENZIE.
[We are inclined to agree with our correspondent and should like to return to the subject, though we fear that our Radical critics may ask us by what right we are interfering with the right of self-determination given to Southern Ireland. We have always thought the Roman Church in Ireland incurred a terrible responsibility in not showing a different attitude towards the Liquor question in Ireland.—En. Spectator.]
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