The age-herald., 1899-03-15
THE ARMY BILL
 ABOLISHES CANTEEN

Washington, D. C., March 12.-There Is Q
 paragraph in the army reorganization bill
 which will cost the Anheuser- Busch Brew
 ing company in the neighborhood of S500.000
 unless the department officials con-
 strue it different from the construction
 which is put upon it by the advocates of
 temperance in the army who drafted the
 provision. The paragraph reads as follows:
 That no officer or private soldier shall
 be detailed to sell intoxicating drinks as a
 bartender or otherwise in any post ex-
 change or canteen, nor shall any other per
 son be required or allowed to sell such
 liquors in any encampment or fort or on
 any premises used for military purposes
 by the United tSates, and the secretary of
 war is hereby directed to issue such general
 order as may be necessary to carry the
 provisions of this section into full force and
 effect"
 The claim of advocates of temperance in
 the army, who lobbed around the capitol
 In the closing hours of the session until
 they forced the senate to adopt the above
 provision as part of the army bill, is that
 the provision effectually abolishes the army
 canteen. That was it's purpose, and they
 are confident that 1t will realize the object 2 for which 1t was intended The brewers of
 the country, especially the Anheuser- Busch
 Brewing company, of St. Louis, which Is
 more largely interested in the army can
 teens than any other brewing concern, evi-
 dently take the same view of the legisla-
 tion, will be shown by the following ex-
 tract from a letter received by Congress-
 man Barthoidt today from Adolphus
 Busch:
 Statistics show that drunkenness has
 diminished wonderfully since the establish
 ment of canteens at the army posts, and
 there is also a notable improvement in the
 health of the soldiers, and, also in their de-
 pertinent.
 But it is too late to bewail the passage
 of the bill now. I only add that 1t horrible
 to think that in the enlightened age in
 which we live such pernicious laws can be
 made about an article which has douc so
 much to make the people of this country
 temperate
 q am anxious to learn when the bill will
 go into force and effect, and whether it will
 be effective in Cuba, Porto Rico and Ma
 nla. l wish to be thoroughly informed
 so I correspond intelligently with our
 people in the respective countries, Of
 course. all have now laid in an immense stock, large consignments are af1oat, and
 if the drinking of beer should be prohibited
 in Manila it will be very detrimental to
 the people who have invested their money
 in the articles"
 At the war department today information was sought from the military authorities
 upon the operation of the law Nearly all the officials were strongly of the opinion
 that if the law resulted in the abolishment n a p1 if bo deu,ln nral Ia legislation. It was said that of all the post commanders in the United States, General shafter was the only one who was not in favor of tho canteen system, and he had
 never given it trial. Doubt was express ed to whether the provision with regard to canteens would have the effect which the temperance advocates counted upon. It is probable that an opinion on the law will
 be asked from the judge advocate general lawyer who has taken some interest in the matter gave the emphatic opinion to- day that the provision could not be con- strued into an authorization for the abol- ishment of the canteen. He contended, on the contrary, that the legislation was cal culated to strengthen the canteen system His explanation was as follows: ''The provision may be divided into two sections. The first is that no officer or pri- vate soldier shall be detailed to sell intox- cating drinks, as a bartender otherwise, In any post exchange or canteen. This sec ton of the paragraph distinctly recognizes the existence of canteens under the direc- ton of the government and it provides that in such canteens no officer private sol dier shall be detailed to sell intoxicating drinks. The government, therefore, will have to employ some civilian. The secoud section of the paragraph is, Nor shall any Ot bar rar ha ra1ln fa ean such liquors in any encampment or fort, or on any premises used for military purposes by the United States This merely con- fines the sale of liquor at military posts to the government-gives the government a monopoly. There is not line in the para graph which forbids the government from selling liquor at the posts.
 "As the eanteens now exist, and their continuance Is not forbidden by the law, l the army officials will, therefore, I have no doubt, simply regard the regulations under which the law says the canteens are to be | carried on-that is to say, allow no officer private soldier to sell the liquor, and allow no outside person to conduct the can | teens The government will conduct the canteens In the future as 1t has in the past | but, of course, will have to employ soma person other than a soldier 10 sell tho l liquor.''
 The great majority of the army officers | as has been stated, say the abolishment of  | the canteen would be a great evil. They assert most positively that the canteen has l been conducive to temperance and to an in1- proyement of department among the sol- l diers, just as MT. Busch contends. It has 1 been found to be the case that at posts | where there are no canteens the lowest | kind of groggeries are established as close l to the military reservation as they can get. | In the army canteens nothing stronger than | beer Is sold. There is absolutely no profit arfu ad fpA fha col Ia hx ha | 1t. and consequently no inducement to sell | the soldier more than he ought to have. On the contrary, when he has enough, TO more drinks are furnished him. Another thing in favor of the canteen Is that no treating Is allowed Every soldier must pay for his own drinks.
 Where there arre no canteens, the sol- ders, as soon they get their leave, start out for the town. Realizing that they will not be able to get any drinks for some tima .~;,. hoc vnipc 0nAd