The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-02
THE ARMY CANTEEN.
whether Ia Is Wise to Abolish 1t Is at
Least "a Question.

st Louis Mirror.
The Hull army bill has been sent to the
United states Senate from the House with
a rider, attached at the eleventh hOur,
which prohibits the sale of beer at the post
exchanges or. as they are commonly known,
the canteens. This amendment was adopted
In difference 10 Incorporate temperance
sentiment rendered vocal by the Woman's
Christian. temperance Union Tbs amend
ment is, in my opinion, unwise. 1t Will not
operate IN practice TO the benefit or the
army. Temperance people will point to riots
ana disorders at the camps OF our volun-
teer forces during the recent war with
Spain. Very we'll. The case is not in point.
Discipline was VIGOROUSLY bad among forces
ofticered by men who might want or whose
friends might want the votes OF the privateS
after disarmament. The Hull bill is in
tended to apply to the regular army, under
a discipline enforced by trained regular
officers without regard for anything but the
efficiency of the army and the credit accru-
ing 10 them for maintaining good discipline.
The %canteen in the army is the growth of
military experience. Ii is a device for pre-
venting drunkenness among soldiers.
adopted in preference to the method of pun
ishing for drunkenness. In our army the
canteen IS conducted under very strict regu-
lations.> The post commaEdant Is neld re-
sponsible for the enforcement of the regu-
lations. He is assisted by "a canteen coUn-
cil' composed of three officers, one of whom
is in immediate charge of the %canteen. 1t Is
officer of the day" All articles disposed
of at the canteen are sold at a bare advance
upon the original cost. The profits go to the
credit of the organizations at the post. This
money Is expended by the company COM
manders in the purchase of luxuries, like
butter. milk. eggs. game: cheese, etc. not
found on the regular bill of fare. Every
canteen is a sort of club whereat the men
may resort TO read, to sing, to play games
that are not gambling games, to regale
themselves between meals with light
luncheons. The regulations prohibit the
sale of anything of an alcoholic nature ex-
cept beer. Intoxicatiorr is not permitted.
and Rpifhar ic the sole Of hear tn N nna
who might be Intoxicated. Such is the
canteen as il is described semi-officially and
authoritatiyely by the Army and Navy Jour
nal.
1t is not such a heinous institution. On
the contrary. there is abundant evidence, In
the army records. that the canteen is a fac
tor in sustaining the morale of the force. 1t
Keeps the men at the post. out of vile whisky
Dives and houses of il-repute near the post.
y canteen at Fort Sidney. Nebraska, re-
duced by one-half the number Of saloons in
Sldney. The opening of a canteen at Fort
in the neighborhood. Every post having "A
canteen mas been noted for better discipline
than before the canteen was established.
The establishment of canteens keeps the SOL
dlers from being drugged and crazed by the
rot-gut sold by the wretches who often set
up joints near the post, in which the SOL
der is robbed.
The testimony Of the adjutant general. the
Judge advocates department, the medical
department, the paymaster generals office
Is that, since the establishment Of post cam
teens, assertions have diminished. courts
martial have decreased, sickness, consequent
upon fntoX1cation. has become rarer. deposits
of soldiers savings from their pay have in
creased. Shall such an agency for good of
the service and the good of individual mem
DerS De abandoned? Does not its benefit
outweigh all the imaginary evils of the insti-
tuition? 1T works for order, for morality. for
nea!'n, Tor economy; Those are the things
that make for manhood. The canteen has
advanced the condition of the private SOL
dler far above that of the class from which
the army IS ordinarily recruited. The can
teen solidifies the men. 1t unites them i'm a
sort of social brotherhood. Ii fosters that
very necessary thing in an army. the esprit
uu corps. IL encourages drunkenness, dis
order, depravlty, extravaganza. 1t is dis
unctively. a temperance institution.
ooidlers VIII drink. Better let them drink
at the post than outside. Better let them
drink under the eyes Of their superiors than
carouse IN dives and brothels. Better let
IheIn drink pure beer than whisky of the
worst sort, sold by soulless Joint keep
ers anxious for loo per cent. profit.
Better let them drink a little at home than
Senu 'nem outside the post to drink too
much, get drunk, disorderly, desert. and be
arrested and court-martialed after the harm
Is done. This amendment will force the
soldier who will drink TO drink the worst
stun with the worst results to the service
and to himself. The desire for drink cam
not be eliminated. 1t can only be controlled.
discipline can control. it. Such control is
possible only under the system of the post
canteen conducted under the officers eyes.
Who Is more interested in the sobriety.
orderliness. decency, tone OF the service
than the officers OF the army? They testi-
~ TO the usefulness of the canteen as a
moral influence. They know the soldier.
They have to depend upon him. His credit
able conduct rebounds to their glory. proves
their efficiency. They say the canteen IS
an institution promotive of sobriety and
good conduct. They point to the figures.
Ihey know. They have seen the canteen
improve the force. They have not seen
prohibition improve the morals of civilian
communities. We may trust the officers of
the army TO care for the army. If post
canteens are bad. no post canteens are much
worse. Why should the army be managed.
In such an important matter Of discipline
as this, In accordance with the views of a
lot of people who know nothing of what
they speak? The canteen amendment should
be wiped out by the Senate in Difference
TO common sense and in Difference to pro-
fessional military testimony against the silly
agitation which created the amendment.