The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-13

An O0eer Believes That It's Abols-
tton 10 = Mistake.

- O1ocx Weaneveo Tbat lto ADOLF
tton IL . Mistake.
without saying anything that could b
construed into a criticism Of that recent
conyocation Of lanes here in Washington
who demanded the abolition Of the post
canteen. I'd like to exude a remark or
two on that subject from another point
OF view than theirs" said IN army officer
TO Star man the other day. This as
seunbaAge Of women maintained that BY
the continuance Of canteens In army posts
Uncle 0Am - encouraging drunkenness.
etc. Well. " they succeed In getting tho
canfeens abolished. We won't have such
good. well disciplined army ~ we've got
now. By 4 long shot The canteen II
actually the salvation OF the American
regular army soldier. who has q natural
or cultivated inclination TO drink rum
wonder II these women understand how
the canteens are run. In the first place.
beer. and beer alone. 10 tho fluid sold over
tho canteen bars. There II no hard stun.
no nippy. red liquor-only beer. Men who
are husky enough to pass the examina-
ton that a man must pass to get into a
regular army soldiers uniform dent get
drunk on beer. or anything like drunk.
They don't even drink canteen beer when
there II anything for them TO do in MIL
Nary way. The cantesn II only open at
tnx. and when IL IL open there Is nothing
In the way o. drills. fatigue duty. or that
sort az thing. for the men to do. So they
20 to the canteen. those Of them that want
to. ana sip their beer. They don't guxxle
II. for 4 man who gets only 81 a month
pay can't AFFORD 10 glxxIe anything except
water. The soldier pays cents over the
bar for q big. generous glass of beer and
Ii he wants two or three or even five or
nj r. IF hos he a art 1eA m her,
providing he has the necessary number
Of nickeis. hut he il not permitted TO buy
more than II good for him. Tho soldier
stationed behind the bar dispensing the
beer. can AZ any time choke of the supply
Of comrade who indicates by his manner
that he has a-plenty aboard. and this Is
something that very. very rarely happens.
Besides tho beer. the canteen provides
little delicacies In the way Of lunch dishes
for the men at very moderate rates. and.
all In all the cantcens In American mill
tary posts are positive triumphs in the
manner I'm which they are managed. More
ever the profits that accrue 10 the eanteen
are distributed equally among tho COM
panies. troops or batteries ssationesi at the
posta and these caFiteen proslfs are devoted
10 tho purchasing Of butter. milk. eggs and
other table deltcacies not provided Tor In
the regular soldiers ration
III the canteens were TO he abolished
what would happen Well. you're not GO
!nx to keep soldiers Of the regular army
or the United States from drinking some
thing or other. n they can't get beer.
shny'u get something worse II. for in
stance the soldiers out AZ Fort Leaven-
worth-~whers I've been soldering a good
deal during the past 1--we sears-hai no
catsseen at which they could get a good
article of hecr they'd cit down and wait
for ray day. and then they'd gaiinp over
to the city OF I1eavenwcrsh On pay night.
all themselves ur to the hilt with raw.
red booze OF the wrought nati kind. sius
each other ana everybody else get picked
into the town eaiahoose for dsossserly con
duet and have a dickens ~ time gem
orally A lot os EN- would get thirty days
In the fseas.nworth jail. and then. when
they returned to the fort after having
served their esssl sentences. they'd find
themselves declared iessrters ard have "a
s,srsi trial by general sssars- martial fer de-
serfi@a this entsistng sentence 20 military
prisons 81 from swo - three years The
ean.asn Is maintained on tne presumption
wAieh has been found exact ever since
armies were mustered that soldiers ara
going Il, have ram In some fern or other
whether or 40. asst fae eantesn is simply
the safest and most charitable way os CIV
ing The soldier the ram ae Is bound 80 gee
II will De a had day for tae American
military service when the canfses il atssl-
sShesi and knew tast exactly what I'm
taking about. az thaf. w assington
Star