THE DRINK PROBLEM.
[To us. ESITOS OF VIZ ”Eirtre■ToS..•] Sea,—I beg to enclose for your perusal a letter signed by Cardinal Logue, the Primate of Ireland, the Moderator of the Irish Presbyterian Churoh, and the Vice-President of the Irish Methodist Conference—I am, Sir, ese., "To the Bight Hon. IL H. Aeonteur, K.C., Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury, Downing Street, London. Sra„—We, the undersigned, beg to bring the following (acts and petition to your notice.
There is a strong feeling throughout the country that the example set by ibuisia and Francs, and in a smaller raeastiro by Germany, in dealing with the drink traffic, should bo followed by Great Britain and Ireland.
The country is more ready to submit to effective legislation in this =steer than ever before, and we feel that it is of vital importance that this opportunity, which may soon pass away, for a great national service, should be grasped by the Government.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer'. words that • drink is doing more damage in the war than all the German submarines put together; and that • we bare great power. to deal with drink, and we seen to use them,' raised hopes in the country that drastic measures were about to be taken with the root of the evil- i... the traffic, not the mere occasional outgrowths, each as • treating;
The Chancellor of the Exchequer also said (vide speech, September 19th): • We have been too comfortable, too indulgent, many perhaps too selfish, and the stern hand of fate emerged us to an elevation where we can one the great everlasting things that matter for a nation—the great peaks of honour we had forgotten—Duty, Patriotism, and clad in glittering white the great pinnacle of Sacrifice, pointing like a rugged finger to Heaven.'
Rues's has seen that reformation in the matter of the terrible nattosel vice of druakenneee is one of 'the great everlasting things that matter for a nation; and has attained to the great pinnacle of Sacrifice, and is already reaping the reward in inereseed efficiency, health, and prosperity. (rids daily Press, and especially Mr. Hamilton F•yfe in Dade Mail, February 4th.) At such a areas as the present, we cannot believe that Mr. Lloyd George's words were a mere flight of rhetoric, and we would, therefore, fall upon the Government to make good the words of one of the great Ministers of the Crown by passing some strong and • Narked' measure to restrict the sale of drink, inch as the Laming of public-houses and dote on Sunday, abolishing the Bona-fide Travellers Act, the prohibition of the sale of drink after one p.m. on Saturday and six p.m. on other days, and doing away with ' wet • canteens in military camps.
Your obedient Servant., • • Wiener!. Cams. Loatm.
bons B. Sestina, Archbishop.
laces Bineaan,
Moderator or she Mammal Assembly of the Presby- terian Church in Ireland.
' W. R. Bunn,
VissaPrensdossa of the Methodist Church is Deland.
March 151h, 1915."
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