Alliance of Honour meeting 'Save Our Girls' (report)

              The Secretary.    19th November, 1943.
ALLIANCE OF HONOUR MEETING "SAVE OUR GIRLS"
This Meeting was fairly well attended, there being some 500 people present including a fair number of the Services, clergy and men and women of the Salvation Army, of all ages. It appeared to be well covered by the Press as there were seven reporters, male and female, at the Press table. There was general disappointment at the absence of Lady Astor especially amongst the women. On the platform there were the usual keen Temperance Speakers, i.e., the Rev. Dr. Donald Soper, the Rev. E. C. Urwin (of the Methodist Temperance & Social Welfare Dept.), Dr. Cove Smith, and in addition to the Bishop of Chelmsford, the Chairman, Mr. Norman Sargent (Vice-Chairman of the Alliance of Honour) with his wife, and Mr. Alfred B. Kent (the founder and Secretary General of the Alliance of Honour.
Mr. Sargent in opening the meeting said that as chairman of the Alliance of Honour Youth Committee he had many sad cases brought to his knowledge of the serious spread of venereal disease amongst our youth of today. He considered that drink was very closely connected with morals today and was associated with V.D. The education of youth appeared to open the doors to drink and the bright youth of today was brought up to realise that "Beer is Best" and stout a tonic. He spoke for about 10 minutes ahd then called upon his wife to read some apologies. These includes one from Mrs. Tate, M.P., (Con., Frome) who said that she was in sympathy with their efforts but considered that was wanted was a "No-Treating Order" and more women police. Letters of apology from the Rev. Scott and Miss Beatrice Chase were too long to be read.
The chairman then called upon the Bishop of Chelmsford who began by saying that he was not happy at a meeting of this kind and was only there from a big sense of duty. His theme was chiefly of the religious order. He said that he considered the war effort was responsible for the big lapse of morals in the young people of today although he believed that the Minister of Health had said some time ago that the morals of young people were bad before the war. He