SOCIAL WELFARE IN WAR TIME.
[To THE EDITOR OY THE " SPECTATOR."] Srn,—In the Times of the 14th inst., under the heading " Social Welfare in War Time," a letter of mine was pub- lished recommending a national movement in favour of temperance as being vital to efficiency in war. We are so near to the area in which our soldiers are fighting for our very existence, yet as a nation we pay little attention to the small measure of self-sacrifice we are required to make in order that drunkenness may be stamped out from amongst us. We need to strengthen the hands of our soldiers, and to make our youth who are ready to take part with them fit to do so. A resolution was passed at the Surrey Quarter Sessions on October 20th in favour of a reduction of the hours at which public-houses may he kept open, and recommending an appeal to all members of the community to abandon at this crisis the practice of inviting friends and others to drink. What- ever rules are framed for licensed hours, they need to be universally applied; the hours adopted at Aldershot are those which should he maintained throughout the country. They are found to be required and are in force as a military necessity. The question of temperance in time of war may, I hope, be considered during the next Session of Parliament, but unless the whole of our Press exerts itself to instruct the people as to their responsibility in the matter we shall not obtain the legislation that is required to make us a sober
people while we are engaged in am, Sir, &c.,
_Beech Hurst, Lingfield. E. F. CHAPMAN.
[We are in full sympathy with General Chapman's letter, and should like to see Aldershot hours enforced throughout the nation.—ED. Spectator.]
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