The Henson Journals

[32]

Monday, February 19th, 1917.

931st day

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I have done nothing all day but write letters and attend services, save of course, to read the papers. The "Church Quarterly Review" has an article by the Editor on "Catholicism" which says many sound & accurate things, but succeeds in being monstrously offensive to many individuals. The same hand is but too plainly discernible in another article on the "Church & State Report", and here I myself am subjected to some rude handling.

I consented to write an article on "Prohibition" for a volume which has been projected as a counterblast to the agitation of the Fanaticks. The question of principle seems clear enough. It cannot be reasonable to prohibit legitimate use in the interest of Liberty. Religiously, this proscription of all alcoholic liquors appears to be heretical. But the matter is curiously complicated by the pertinacious & (more or less) authoritative declarations of scientific folks as to the mischievousness of alcohol e.g. the Report drawn up by a Committee of the Royal Society in 1917, which Runciman has sent me, speaks dogmatically on "the results observed in practice, & on large numbers of individuals, as to the effect of alcohol on the accomplishment of physical work". Troops march further without than with alcohol, & are in better condition. It is all very puzzling. The "British Weekly" has an article on "Prohibition" by Denny, which is very fanatically expressed. It is humiliating that a man of his ability, knowledge, and experience of life should be able to take such a tone with respect to a policy which he knows to be condemned by many, probably by most, of his fellow–countrymen. But "Temperance" is a matter which has become the victim of fanaticism, & where that can be said, there is no place for charity, or reason, or modesty. Ella arrived by the late train, having travelled without inconvenience, and with fair punctuality.

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