The Goodland republic., 1900-09-07
ARMY GHHTEEH DEFENDED.
-Adjt. Gen. COrbin Sets Forth Atti-
tude Of War Department
Says the Post Exchange Promotes sObriety
Among Soldier, Causes Fewer lDessr-
fl0us ard Improves HeaIth-What
Each Soldier Drinks Per Month

Washington, Sept. 2.-Adjt. Gen
COrbin has written letter to Senator
Sewell, OF New jersey, a member OF
- the military committee Of the senate,
setting forth IN definite terms the
attitude OF the war department on
the question of the army canteen.
The letter, which was made public t.
day, is as follows:
Replying to your several inquiries con
cerning the post exchange, or army
canteens" have the honor to inform you
L That the sale Of all spfrituOus liquors
BY the canteen IS and always has been
absolutely prohibited
2 Only beer and light wines are sold
to either officers or men, and these only
when the commanding officer is salts
ned that giving to the troops the OppOr-
tunity of obtaining such beverage with
IN the post limits viii prevent them from
resOrting for strong intOxicants to places
without such limits, and tends TO pro
mote temperance and discipline among
them.
3. The canteen was established and has
been maintained in the interests Of tenn
perance and betterment Of discipline with
most satisfactory results This is shown
In fewer trials by Court-martial, in ths
decreased number Of desertions and iE
the improved health Of the men
4 The exchange is a cooperative store,
where supplies are sold at cost, or a.
nearly so as possible, for the benehL OF
officers and men Of the army. The can
teen is a department Of the exchange,
constituting an enlisted mems CLUB.
Rooms in or near the soldiers quarters
are set apart for this special purpose,
furnished with reading matter, billiard
tables and other games, but where every
form OF gambling IS absolutely forbid
den 1t is where the men write their let
ters home and read the newspapers and
magazines.
The government has no financial inter
est whatever in either the exchange or
canteen, the funds being supplied by the
soldiers themselves Almost every COM
pany commander has reported in favor
Of the exchange and canteen as an effect
i've temperance measure. One thousand
and nineteen commissioned officers nave
made special reports to this effect It
may be proper for me TO say that, In
the beginning, I opposed the canteen,
but was brought to its support by the
overwhelming evidence Of its benehcent
result on the morals, health and con-
tentment OF the service.
II has been stated in the public press
that the receipts Of the exchange are
nearly all for drink" To meet this
statement have to inform you that the
official reports Of the department show
that the receipts from the sales Of beer
and light wines are and have been less
than One-third Of the gross receipts, be
ing in 1898 6ve-seventeenths and in 1899
six-seventeenths. Taking the amount o.
the gross receipts on account Of the sale
Of beer and dividing It by the total num-
Der Of officers and men show that each
officer and enlisted man for the year 1895
expended on account Of beer only y
cents a mOnth-eQuivalent to four glasses
Of beer per month, or less than one slass
a week apiece for each officer and man
in the military service In 1889, the eX
penditure on the part Of each officer and
man reached an average Of IS cents per
month, or but 1-9 cents day These facts
make it clear that, in comparison with all
other citizens. the army Of to-day IS
the most absteminOus body in our Coun-
try. There is no community Of which
we have any report or knowledge that
wiz show so small a consumption OF
drink per capita This average should,
in fact, appear much lower, for the rea
son that citizen employees, Of which we
have taken no account, have the privilege
Of purchase from the canteen- The num-
be- OF clerks, mechanics and teamsterS
employed with an army in the field IS. as
you know, very large This number.
however, is not Obtainable, but you viii
agree would very materially reduce the
averages Of % cents and s. cents month