Welcome Sweet Peace: Returning home after the Great War
Legal drinking hangs in the balance
'Zealandia Must Either Destroy This Monster or be Destroyed', 29 March 1919, War Cry, New Zealand and Pacific Published Collections, Alexander Turnbull Library
Legal drinking hangs in the balance
In April 1919, New Zealand held a referendum on whether to introduce the prohibition of alcohol. The Salvation Army journal War Cry was keen to point out the destructive nature of alcohol on New Zealand society. This dramatic cover demonises alcohol as 'the accursed fiend', and charged every responsible citizen to vote for prohibition and 'destroy this monster'.
When initial votes were counted, the prohibitionists had succeeded in their task, gaining almost 14,000 more votes than those cast for continuance. The monster, however, was not vanquished as 'the soldier's vote' was yet to be counted.
Permission of the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga O Aotearoa, must be obtained before any reuse of this image
