3 FEBRUARY 1917, Page 11

ALCOHOL AND THE ARMY.

(To THE EDITOR or THE " SPECTATOR.")

Sno—May I second " Captain's " suggestion put forward in the Spectator of January 6th—namely, to abolish the sale of alcohol to all ranks in France? No now step is made without a sacrifice on somebody's part, and I am well aware that such a step would .affect the large majority of men out here; but in return I am certain a greater efficiency would be obtained by total abolition. or at any rate of the sale of whisky, for the remainder of the war. I am not a teetotaler, but I am basing my views largely on an eighteen months' experience in trench work, and it has shown me over and over again that those men last longer who either make no use of stimulants or else use them very sparingly.