Washington telegraph., 1900-09-07

titude of the war department on the
question of the army canteen. The
letter, which was made public yester-
day, is as follows:
War Department.,
Adiutant Generals Office,
Washington, d. c., Aug. 2S, 1900.
Hon. William j. Sewall, Military Com
mittee, U. S. Senate:
Dear Senator-Replying to your
several inquiries concerning the post
exchange, or "army canteen," | have
the honor to inform you:
First-Thatt the sale of all spirituous
liquors by the canteen is and has al
ways been absolutely prohibited.
Second-Only beer and light wines
are sold to either officers or men, and
these only when the commanding Of
fcer is satisfied that giving to the
troops the opportunity of obtaining
such beverage within the post limits
will prevent them from resorting for
strong intoXicants to places without
such limits, and tends to promote
temperance and discipline among
them.
Third-The canteen was established
and has been maintained in the in
terests of temperance and betterment
of discipline, with most satisfactory
results. This is shown in fewer trials
by courts-martial, in the decreased
number of desertions, and in the i'm
proved health of the men.
Fourth-The exchange is a coop
erative store where supplies are sold
at cost, or as nearly so as possible,
for the benefit of officers and men of
the army. The canteen is a depart
ment 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
letters home, and read the newspa-
pers and magazines. The government
has no financial interest whatever in
either the exchange or canteen, the
funds being supplied by the soldiers
themselves.
Almost every company commander
has reported in favor of the exchange
and eanteen as an effective temper
ance measure. One thousand and nine
teen commissioned officers have made
special reports to this effect. 1t may
be proper for me to say that in the
beginning / opposed the canteen, but
was brought to its support by the
overwhelming evidence of its benef-
icent results upon the morale, health
and contentment of the service.
AS set forth in the report of Assist
ant Surgeon Munson, U. S. A., who,
under instructions of the war depart
ment, made careful investigation into
the effect of the canteen upon the
health of enlisted men, the result
more than met the expectations of
those most nterested in the promo
ton of temperance in the military
service. He further finds that the per-
centage of desertions has been con-
tinually reduced since the introduce
tion of the canteen. Prior to its in
PRODUCTION desertions averaged from
10 to II per cent. annually Since its
follows:
First year, to ~; the next year to
81, the next 81, then 6.3, the next to
3.6. then SO; the next to 3.4, and final
ly to 30.
Further, the number of trials and
convictions for drunkenness and Of
fenses originating therefrom for the
giy
372.5. These decreased during the fol-
lowing six years of its establishment
to 1906. Further that for the seven
years preceding the esta blishment of
the canteen, the average number of
men who deposited their savings with
the government was 1878. For the
seven years following it's introduction
the average has increased to $3.50.
1t has been stated N the public
press that 1.-The receipts of the ex-
change 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 sales of beer and light wines are
and have been less than one-third of
gross receipts, being, in 1898, five-sev-
enteenths, and in 1899, six-seven-
teenths
If there is any further information
that you desire from the records on
this subject the department will be
only too glad to furnish it. You must
admit that the anxiety of temperance
people outside the service about the
army is unwarranted. AS compared
with those existing twenty or thirty
years ago-as we knew it then-or
with any community at the present
time anywhere in civil life, the army
is a model temperance society-a
practical one, where reasonable absti-
nence is the rule and where eXcesses