On This Day, 16 March 1918

Evening Despatch

Saturday 16 March 1918

WAR AND DRINK.

PROHIBITION DEMANDED AT A BIRMINGHAM MEETING.

At meeting of the Birmingham, Warwickshire and District Union of the B.W.T.A. at the Midland Institute last night, a resolution was passed declaring the conviction, greatly strengthened the recent experiences in other countries, that the only real and complete remedy for the tragedy and waste caused by drink was to be found in Prohibition, and strongly urging the Government bring in a measure for prohibiting the manufacture and sale of alcoholic liquors during the war and the period of demobilisation.

Mr. A. E. Owen Jones said if such a measure was passed he was quite prepared to trust to the good sense of the people to settle the matter afterwards, because after the good that would result from such changed conditions it was unthinkable that the people of this country, especially now the women had the vote, would dream of ever going back to the old conditions.

A resolution was also passed expressing indignation that the British military authorities in France had permitted the opening of tolerated houses and calling upon the Government to put all such houses of debauchery out of bounds of the British troops.