Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-18
ITS SALE TO BE STOPPED

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Tribune from Washington says: Among
the serious problems confronting General
Otis at Manila none has caused greater
anxiety than the alarming effects pro-
duced upon American soldiers. particu-
larly the enlisted men by a seductive
beverage which they produce in native
shops and which produced sue physical
and mental Generalization as to give rise
to a suspicion that the army of occupa-
ton was being systematically drugged or
poisoned to render them helpless to resist
an insurgent attack.
This native drink was generally known
as vino. 1t was exceedingly palatable
and inexpensive, but a single drink of it
untitled a soldier for active duty for the
succeeding "a hours, while frequent
potions sent the soldiers to the hospital
for a long period of illness. When the
source of the trouble was discovered Cen
eral Otis was disposed to prohibit the
traffic in vino altogether and to that end
referred the matter to General. Hughes,
provost marshal general of the city, with
a request for a suggestion looking to a
practical course of action. General
Hughes investigated the trouble and his
recommendations ave been followed.
AS long as Manila was crowded with
troops the vino industry, unrestricted
was exceedingly lucrative, but now that
most of the Americans are in the field
practically all the shops where it had been
sold are closed. General Hughes indorse-
ment on the case was as follows:
Il have avoided all discussion of this
subject until l have sufficiently Informed
myself of the actual facts and while my
information is not yet as full and COM
- - - I .~,,l 81 1900. . . lin 7 So
that [ hazard nothing in what is stated
below. There are quite a number of ar
ticles on sale at the wine shops in this
city that are about the same thing. They
are q whitish liquor and usually favored
and sometimes tinted by some innocent
elements. They are called numerous
names-anisadO, vino beno, Scotch Whis-
key, etc. The basis of all them is simply
alcohol. Commercial alcohol is manu-
featured here extensively from the refuse
of sugar houses. 1t is pure n strong
and can be sold at a price that is far be-
low that at which any other Intoxicating
drink can be produced. The wine dealers
take this alcohol of and dilute
it and add a cheap flavoring, and sell it
under any name they see fit to bestow
upon it. Anyone familiar with the old
bottle rad can tell about it by giving
the various prices of labelled and not
labelled bottles. A Scotch whiskey bottle
with a perfect label is q very different
article of trade from one of the same kind
without a label.
Now, are we expected to sweep alcohol
from the list of manufactures in order to
prevent a few i'll controlled men from
getting drunk? These men want alcohol
and in this form they can get it stronger
and cheaper than they get in in beer and
! so they elect to take it. The natives take
it but in moderation and with discretion
| md yp ha va no trO1hlp with them on 3c-
| count of it whatever. The police are in
~structed to endeavor to suppress the sale
of these strong alcoholic drinks to our
soldiers and persons found selling them to
American soldiers have their permits re-
voked.
There are occasionally shops that get
fruit alcohol and put in on sale as a bev-
erage. This material is apt to produce
a very delirious or confused condition.
Wherever such shops are found, the po-
lice are to withdraw the licenses from
the places. If commanders will be care
full to report the places where the men
have obtained the drink which produces
the effects mentioned it shall be the effort
of this office to take such measures as
will prevent a recurrence. 1t has occurred
to me that local commanders might do
much themselves to control their men. A
plan which commends itself to me would
be somewhat as follows: Observe the
shops in their vicinity where their men
get alcohol and where they loaf. Declare
in orders that such shops, designating
them distinctly, are outside the bounds
of liberty and by arresting and Furnishing
these uncontrolled men for non-conform-
ity, much evil might be averted. This is
a matter for the consideration of COM
manders and is only given as a sugges-
ton that might lead to a better condition
of things"