The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-07-28
TEETOTAL WARRIORS.
Conditions of Modern Warfare on
Land and Sea Demand Total Alb
stinence to Insure Success.

Liquor has until recently PLAYED so
important role in warfare, to the hor-
rors of which it has in no small measure
contributed, that the fact of Sir Horato
Kltchener's recent victory at Atbara
having been won by force composed
exclusively of total abstainers calls for
serious consideration and attention. 1t
is probably the first occasion that so
brilliant a feat of arms has been
achieved by body of white troops who
for months previously had not been
permitted to touch a drop of any kind of
stimulant whatsoever. For If not only
Tommy Atkins" of the line, but even
his comrade, SANDY" of the Highland
regiments, whose very name suggests
whisky, have refrained from alcohol in
any form whatsoever, and have restrict
ed themselves to tea, lime juice and
Nile water, it cannot be attributed to
any conscientious scruples on their part
or to the sudden development of high
fledged principles on the score of drink,
but solely to the establishment of new
system by the British military authori-
ties, which is exciting good deal of in
terest on the part of the war depart
ments of continental Europe, and
which, in view of The conflict now in
progress between this country and
Spain, may likewise commend itself to
Secretary Alger and Gen. Miles.
1t seems that for some time, by orders
of Field Marshal Lord Wolseley, the
British commander in chief, careful and
exhaustive experiments have been in
progress with view to ascertaining the
relative effects of alcohol and of total
abstinence upon the physical endurance
and staying qualities of the troops. Ad-
vantage has been taken of the annual
maneuvers. as well as of these petty
wars of which England has a few on
hand in one part or another of the world
almostall the time, to examine carefully
the question. One regiment would be
deprived of every drop of stimulant,
while another belonging to the same
brigade would be allowed to purchase
as usual its malt liquors at the canteen,
and third, probably Highland corps,
would receive q sailors ration of grog
in the form of whisky. In each instance
the experiment went to show that,
whereas at first the corps which had re-
ceiyed an allowance of grOg surpassed
the others in dash and in impetuosity
of attack, yet that after the third or
fourth day its members began to show
notable signs of lassitude and lack of
spirit and endurance. The same mani
festations, though in a minor and slow
er degree, were apparent in the regi-
ments restricted to malt liquors, where
as the men who had been kept from
every kind of Stimulant increased in
staying power, alertness and vigor
every day.
The result of these experiments led
the British war department 20 decide,
not on the ground of principle, but sole
ly for the sake of maintaining the pow
ers of endurance of the troops now en-
gagged in the Soudan campaign, not to
permit single drop of stimulant in
camp save for hospital use. Spirits,
wine and malt liquors have been barred
from the officers mess table, as well as
from the regimental canteen, and from
generals in command down Is. she drum
mer boys and the camp followers liquid
refreshments have been restricted to
tea and oatmeal water
English sailors are only deprived of
their rations of grog when really going
into action, and are subjected to no such
restrictions when engaged in mere
maneuvers or gunnery practice, while
in the Spanish, French, German, Rus
sian and Italian navies the old-fash
toned custom of doubling the allowance
of wine or spirits TO the crews when
going into action is still retained. May
not, therefore, the abstinence enforced
upon United States men-of-war have
something to do with the superiority of
American gunnery over that of the re-
mainder of the world? Certain it is
that a man who does not drink is more
cool and collected and therefore better
able to shoot with precision than any
one whose pulse is in the least bit quick
ened by stimulant. The English adj
miralty has in fact recognized this by
forbidding the use of liquor Of any kind
on The day when ships are going into
action, and no one need feel surprised
if the present war leads to the grog ra-
ton being abolished altogether in the
British navy.-N. Y. Tribune.