The Republican., 1899-10-26
HOW ARMY OFFICERS VIEW IT
Unanimous and Positive In Convic-
tiOn That Alcoholic Drinks Are
n Detriment to the Soldier.

The great British victory at Omdur-
man was gained by an army of total
abstainers from intoxicating drinks,
after phenomenal marches through the
desert under a burning sun and in
climate famed for its power to kill or
prematurely age the unacclimated.
Many of the men and some of the Of
ficers were not teetotalers from choice,
! and some of them made wry faces when
the British war department decided, "a
the express desire of the commander
in chief at home, Field Marshal Lord
Wolseley, and Gen. Kitchener in the
| field, that not a single drop of alco-
holic stimulant should be allowed in
camp except for hospital use.
For some time previous to this, ex-
perimental evidence had been gathered
upon this military temperance ques-
ton. Three regiments were selected
| from each of several brigades for tests
at different times, partly during ma
neuvers. In one every man was for
hidden to drink drop while the test
lasted; in the second malt liquor could
be purchased; in the third sailors
ration of whisky was given to each man.
The experiment was repeated in several
instances where forced marches or
other hard work was required. The
whisky drinkers showed more dash at
first, but generally in about four days
showed signs of lassitude and abnormal
fatigue. Those given malt liquor dis
played less dash at first, but their en-
durance lasted somewhat longer. The
abstainers, however, are said ts have
| increased daily in alertness and stay
ing powers.
The French victories in the western
Soudan and in Madagascar were also
gained by an army of total abstainers.
Gen. Gallieni, their commander, sub
stituted tea, coffee, lemonade and other
| temperance drinks for intoXicants, and,
he writes, the efficiency of the men was
| increased 40 per cent, their morals and
| health being greatly improved.
Our own leading generals are also op-
posed to the regimental liquor can
teen" The adjutant general of the
| army, Henry c. Corbin, to whom all
| the other generals have to report, has
said: "a cause of restlessness in the
army is traced to the eXcesses of the
exchange, the saloon feature of which
is not productive of good, and should
be done away with without further ex-
| pertinent" Surgeon General Stern
berg, who, of course, is at the head
of the whole medical service in the
army, and who ought to know what
he is writing about, says: There is
no need whatever for intoxicating
| drinks at these canteens, and it will
be a good thing for the army if they
are abolished" Gen. Miles went as
far as he was permitted by the then
existing army regulations, and in the
general order, No. s, July 2, 1898, he
said: The history of other armies has
demonstrated that in a hot climate
abstinence from the use of intoxicating
drinks is essential to continued health
and efficiency" And he urged the COM
manding officers and men to give their
full physical and intellectual force to
their public duties ''uncontaminated by
any indulgence that shall dim, stultify,
weaken or impair their faculties and
strength in any particular"
Maj. Gen. Shafter wrote from Santi-
ago: 81 have always been strongly op-
posed to the canteen system, or the
sale of Intoxicating drinks of any kind.
l regard it demoralizing to the men,
besides impairing seriously their eff
ficiency." Maj. Gen. Wheeler: Il am
utterly opposed to soldiers being sold
Intoxicating liquors, and l believe that
every effort should be made to remove
the temptation of such dissipation from
them" Brig. Gen. Guy V. Henry, Porto
Rico: 81 am opposed to the sale of
liquors of any kind to enlisted men,"
With these high officers agree Gems.
Boynton, Rochester, Howard, Wilcox,
Stanley, Carlin and more than a hun
dred colonels, majors, captains, sur
geons and chaplains.-Rev. John Lig-
gins, in Christian Work.