5 FEBRUARY 1916, Page 2

We should not, however, be human if we did not

notice the strange fact that, though freightage cannot be found for paper, the raw material for newspapers or books, space as usual is evidently going to be found for the sugar, foreign barley, and dozens of other things which are used in the manufacture of intoxicants. Apparently the Government mean to tell us that, whoever else goes short, it shall not be the brewers or the whisky- makers. The cry of " Hush ! Hush ! 7 and a mutter of " Procul este profani!" come the moment that anybody has the intrepidity, or we suppose we ought to say the impertinence, to suggest that any inconvenience should be caused to the liquor interest. But though it is an arguable point that news- papers are more poisonous than beer or Spirits, we cannot under- stand why the Government should prefer to keep out npnles and oranges rather than the products required for the manu- facture of intoxicants !