The evening times., 1900-06-13

ward the Army canteen continues to be a
subject of favorable and adverse comment
al the War Department. line officer
who wears more than one star in speaking
18th a reporter for The Times today de-
fs nded the canteen ard gave it as his De-
lief that if the temperance people of tine
country haG proper appreciation OF act
ual conditions and of the merits OF the
canteen. they would withdraw their opno-
sition.
He said that the post exchange system
is one developed for Americans which is
designed to combine the features of read
ing and recreation rooms, a cooperative
Store and !. restaurant in order to supply
| the troops at reasonable prices with the
articles of ordinary wear, use and con-
sumption not supplied by the Government,
while by means of the profits Of the ex-
change. the messes may be improved.
Buildings are ordered TO be set apart or
rented at every post for the exchange. An
officer is put in charge OF the management
and a non-commissiOned officer is delegat-
ed as exchange steward. The exchange is
superintended by council of officers with
subcommittee of non-eommissioned off,
Gers Rules CT order are prescribed, pro-
! hibiting gambling and restricting the en-
try OF civilians.
The sale or use OF ardent spirits is
| strictly prohibited. But on the recon-
! mendation Of the exchange council the
commanding officer may permit beer and
| light wines to be sold at the canteen by
/ the drink whenever he is satisfied that
/ giving to the troops the opportunity Of
obtaining such beverages within the Iost
limits viii prsyent them from resorting
] for strong lnloTicants to places without
! such limits and tends to promote temper
anee and discipline among them.
The canteen must be in a separate room,
| preferably in q, Separate building. The sale
| OF beer is limited to week days, the beer
TO be consumed upon the premises. and
/ treating is not permitted.
| In the cooperative store the goods are
/ got at cheap prices. and lunch-room prices
are made as small as possible. Sales are
made on credit and the profits applied.
per cent to thea band, a part to gardens.
reading room. and gymnastic appliances.
| and the rest to company funds. which en-
able the soldiers TO get better meals and
comforts, or returned in dividends.
The First Exchange.
Such an exchange was first undertaken
as an experiment in Vancouver Barracks
in 1850. but was not established in the
army till 1889. and came into full use in
I the year 1891. Comparing the years before
"
/ missions for alcoholism gradually dimin
! ished from 64.2S per thousand in that year
I to 90 per thousand in 1891. In 1890 there
were II posts in which the admission rate
| exceeded 10 per cent OF the strength. In
| 1897 there were but 2. The percentage of
| deseTtions fell from an average Of 91S
/ per cent of the enlisted force in seven
| years before 1891 to asa per cent Of the
! enlisted force in six years after that year.
| The total trials and convictions for drunk
/ enneSs in the army during the seven years
! before 1881 averaged 272.5 each year and
/ in the six years after 1891. 1905 IN each
I year. The average number OF men making
! savings deposits increased over IS per cent.
] The opinions Of the officers are almost
unanimous. Many of them say that they
/ are total abstainers themselves. Many
more have said that they viewed the es-
/ tablishment CT the cauteen with disapprOv-
/ al. but after their experience changed their
minds. Those who are opposed to prohib-
/ iting the canteen are ISL. Those who are
/ for its prohibition are SO. and are doubt
| ful.
| Almost all of them have expressed their
official opinions as to the effect Of the can
| teen upon the morality. discipline deser-
| tions, the number of courts martial and
cases of drunkenness, and on the likeli-
| hood of the soldier to go outside the camp
| for intoxicants.
1
Following are a few of the opinions OF
officers concerning the canteen: 1T is the
enlisted Taa's social club" They have
no such desire to visit disorderly places
| outside DesertiOns lessened." Drunk
| enness decreased" Nearly all drunken
ness at present can be traced to strong
| liquor purchased outside" 1T has been
the essential feature for the prevention of
desertion. Under the old system men
| would visit saloons outside the Hosts
overstay their passes, or absent thems aIyes
without leave IT,
These officers state that the effet. of
absolute prohibition would be an increase
Of drunkenness, a decrease of comforts.
| an increase CT absenteeisE, and Of trial
| by summary court-martial; that IL would
cause the smuggling Of whisky into camp;
thet any unpreiEdiced man who has
served with troops in the field for twenty
years viii be convinced that prohibition
would result in the increase OF low dives
near the reservations, with attendant
evils; that the temporary suspension CT
the canteen has always proved the effect
TO be disastrous; that prohibition would
increase the grosser forms of drunkenness
and the frequenting Of disreputable. dis
orderly, and degrading saloons: thaI they
have seldom CT never known Of any
DhLtAntcS ItouIlAuS 1IOIu Lle CdQteen,
that prohibition would remove the checks
which row exist; that the canteen has
certaiE.s lessened the evil of drink in the
Army. and that it has done much to ele-
vate the character and moral tone OF the
soldier. that the soldier would resent any
uncalled for denial of his privileges; that
the canteen gives way of exercising re-
straint of drinking which is WHOLESOME and
yet net provoking.
In the minority report on the Anti-Can-
teen bill, signed by Representatives Par
ker and Slayden, the following -ebserva-
tions were made:
IF we wish to have an army composed
Of self-controlling, self-respecting men,
We must give them the opportunity to ex-
ercise the virtue Of temperance by choice
instead Of trying to enforce total absti-
nence.
The American Army Is not to be gov
erned by state prison rules. When at
nome they have the right to use Iiquor in
nooeratlnL within the walls of their own
homes- hen in the Army they claim the
same rigL-. II it be denied those who
wish to drink are driven outside to serv
spirits, or worse
There is no vice more to be feared in
any army than intemperance II is he
cause the post exchange and the canteen
has been shown beyond all question TO