The Fiddlers; Drink in the Witness Box

A polemical wartime pamphlet argues that the sale and manufacture of alcoholic drink actively harmed the national war effort by diverting foodstuffs, wasting shipping, and weakening manpower and charity. It assembles parliamentary returns, press examples, and statistics to accuse the trade and government of failing to restrain consumption, contrasts stricter prohibition measures adopted elsewhere, and criticizes policy as inconsistent and inadequate. The text urges stricter controls or prohibition on drink as necessary to conserve food, speed victory, and uphold public duty.