Evening star., 1900-12-22
ABOLITION OF THE CANTEEN.
A bright Young Private Speaks OF the
Probable Result.

While over at Fort Myer the other morn
ing a Star reporter engaged in conversation
with an intelligent young private stationed
at the post on the hill. The young soldier
spoke with pointed clearness on the ques-
ton Of the abolition of the canteen in the
army and the probable result.
..Fm not an officer and perhaps a pri-
Yates views are without weight, but 1t Is
the private who is affected by the measure
in question. and it is the private who ought
to have. but who has not, a voice IN the
natter he said.
IF the good people in this and other
communities who oppose the canteen in
the army had positive, personal knowledge
respecting the proposition they urge II
would be different. The great point of i'm
portance in this controversy which ought
to be made most emphatic is that their
opinions are based upon hearsay very large
sonally informed than themselves
The designation Of the private soldiers
post club as a 'canteen' was unfortunate.
in the sense that the public at large as
sociates that name with something to drink
and altogether very wrong and very de-
moraliZing. Had it been from the first
called the post club or any other title TO
disassociate the idea of drinking the op-
position to SUE h a place would never nave
assumed such proportions.
again. out of our great population how
many persons have visited an army post
Comparatively few. And how many OF
these visitors have entered the canteen!
Scarcely any. Therefore, the great bulk OF
the people think it is a saloon. because the
ministers and the temperance advocates.
none Of whom. in all probability nave ever
been inside of one, say IT Is.
"Of course, being only "a private, and
having no pulpit or rostrum from which to
speak. 1 can't tell the people what the
soldier what the fashionable clubs in this
and other cities are to the rich.
1.-The deadly monotony OF soldiers Ire
at an army post is demoralizing IN ITSELF
These people who would give US no privi-
leges except that Of presenting our breasts
to the bullets of the enemy for their pro-
lection and the safeguarding Of their
homes are no doubt honest in their con-
victions that they are right and we are
wrong but they are most sadly mistaken,
and in some instan es have shown COM
plete ignorance of the subject they profess
to discuss with intelligence
''They forget If they ever knew. that aD-
solutely no drunkenness is permitted at an
army post. They ignore the fact that SOL
diers are human and are guided by human
instincts one Of which is that certain
amount Of relaxation and freedom from the
grind of routine life is OF paramount I'M
portance They are forgetful that no strong
liquors are sold, and that soldier ought TO
be entitled to eat a sandwich and drink
glass of beer as we'll as any artisan or any
gentleman who drinks his glass Of wine at
dinner These men are not drunkards In
consequence.
Most army posts are frnged with sa-
looms and speak easies. They are the real
menace to the soldiers sobriety rather than
the canteen Once outside of the posts
limits a soldier is apt to drink too much
because he must get 1t all at one time. At
the canteen this is not permitted, he Is
quiet saves his money, reads the papers
and magazines and generally conducts him
self well.
Another. great error these honest out
grievousy mistaken people make is tina
thew appear utterly to ignore the testimony
Of officers in, the army Of all ranks and dis
positions. l know of officers who are strict
temperance men who advocate the canteen.
The strictest martinez and the easiest and
most eensiderate oficer unite on this point.