New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-06
THE ARMY CANTEEN AGAIN.

| For some months past-indeed ever since the
enactment by Congress last March OF the anti
canteen legislation unexpectedly embodied Ill
the Army Appropriation bill-the War De
partment has been industriously collecting
! opinions from officers on the wisdom OF retain
ing or abolishing the socalled post exchange
as feature of garrison life. As might nave
been anticipated. opinion in the Army Is almost
unanimously in favor OF maintaining the post
/ canteen at which. under certain restrictions,
beer and light wines are sold TO the non-com-
missioncd officers and enlisted men. or the SIX
hundred replies received so far TO the Depart
! ments circular letter. only six are said 10 De
! hostile 10 the present exchange system, while
the other 594 commend the canteen as an in
! sttution calculated to promote sobriety, good
order and discipline in the Army. This testi-
mony Is TO he presented by the Department TO
! Congress next winter. In The hope OF dissuad'
! ing that body from any further attempts 10
prohibit absolutely the sale OF alcoholic liquors
at military posts
II is easy enough 10 see and appreciate the
! motives which inspired the fight In the last
! Congress and in other preceding Congresses
! against the Army canteen To many sincere
| advocates Of the stringent control or total sup
preston of the liquor traffic the maintenance
of post exchange seemed TO Involve gov
| crnmental sanction 2:d approval OF mat trhI-
| fc under conditions which least Justihed IT'S
! liberation For II anywhere In their view pro-
! hibtion Of the use Of liquor was practicable or
| desirable II was in the ranks OF rigldiy as
| clplined standing Army. Acting on the theory
no doubt that I'm an ideal garrison no necessity
for the sale or use of ntoxicants should exist.
many earnest friends of temperance have clam
ored for the abolition OF the canteen. and their
! imnortunites were reflected in the prohlbitve
! legislation which Congress recently attached
though without accomplishing the result ex-
| nectcd from ito the Army Appropriation
! bill
But with the canteen-as with so many other
problems Of discipline and conductive IA
miliar difficulty arises of reconciling the beau
ties of theory with the realities OF practice
Theoretically the soldier should doubtless he
restrained from alcoholic indulgence of any
sort But probably no post commander has yet
been found who has succeeded in enforcing alb
stInence from intoxicants on the men under
his control
large percentage Of the rank and file of the
American Army will always manage TO obtain
louor and drink IT, no matter how severe the
restrictions put upon its sale; and at the larger
posts to whose multiplication the present pol
lev Of the Department tends. the facilities for
drinking offered outside the garrison limits
ore practically unbounded In Havana, where.
Under military law, the sale Of alcoholic
liquors to American soldiers Is forbidden on
min OF forfeiture of the sellers license, drunk
enness among the troops Is anything but I'M
common, the absence OF anything like the post
canteen driving the men to seek amusement
and dissipation In the cheapest and most dis
reputable Of the drinking resorts. In this coun-
try. moreover. under civil law one can imagine
the futIlity Of any attempt like General Lud-
lows In Havana to dictate to a licensed saloon