The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-07-04
A GOOD WORD FOR THE CANTEEN
Views of an Army Oficer Who Has
Thfrty-Fivc Years Experience.

Capt. Henry Romein, in Chicago Advance.
/ nave read with much interest the ar
ticles regarding the army canteen which
have appeared in the pages of the Advance,
and, as a person thoroughly acquainted
with the workings and effects of it, for
more than seven years. and with the vari-
Gus phases of attempts to control the drink
ing habit in the arm for more than thirty
five years, / ask to be heard, through your
columns.
There is no other thing in which the citi-
zen of this country is interested, as patriot
or merely as taxpayer, of which he has ac-
tually so little knowledge as he has of the
army. He knows that in time of peace the
country has an armed force, but he rarely
sees a man in uniform, and generally
thinks that, when a man is good for Moth
ing else, he can be made into a soldier.
A very singular state of affairs exists re-
garding the adjustment of the canteen.
Two forces, in other things antagonistic,
are working for the same end. TO wit-the
liquor interest and the temperance people,
the first because the canteen affects its
business ~unfavorably, the second because
they think the institution increases drunk
enness. Who shall decide, when doctors
disagree?" Why not accept the verdict of
the expert; in this case the officer, whose
duties bring him in contact with the sol.
der? In response to an official inquiry, the
reply TO which must be rendered upon
honor, and which was sent out some
months since, more than 90 per cent. of the
respondents advocated the restriction of the
canteen and gave good reasons for their
opinions. 1t is also a noticeable fact that
of those who dissented about one-half were
officers whose duties do not throw them
into close contact with enlisted men in gar
rison, and who are, therefore,. not as well
qualified TO judge as are those who live in
side of garrisons and see their men daily.
almost hourly.
knowledge of the workings of the canteen
for about seven years. Before the time I
had more than twenty-five years exper-
fence as an officer of the line" and under
all sorts of orders regarding sales of liquor
in camps and garisonS: from attempts at
total suppression, through attempts to reg
ulate sales by the "sutler'' or trader" to
"wide-Open" conditions; in which any man
could buy all he wanted. / wish to say here
that / am not, nor ever ave been, a
drinking man; and have used my influence,
whenever possible, in favor Of temperance,
to the extent, in some instances, of taking
the victims of the liquor habit to the Keel
ey institutes and becoming responsible for
their expenses there. But / have found the
total eradication of drinking in any COM
pany an impossibility, and Ii will be till
the millennium arrives; and then the soldier
Will not be needed.
In 1889 I was serving with my company at
Il L 1SlUSSOlu, leAdS, liz near the TOWN OF
Rio Grande City, where all the worst ele-
ments of the frontier, including drinks of
the vilest character, were abundant. If a
soldier went out of the post for any pur-
pose, unless he went into the wilderness of
chapparal, he must go into town. Once
there he was, If possible, induced to drink,
and the chances were ten TO one that he
would be arrested, fined to the extent of
all the money he had, or could raise among
his comrades, or confined for from ten to
thirty days. and compelled to work during
the time. On his return he was, of course,
liable to military punishment for absence
without leave; consequence, another fine
and term of confinement.
The opening of the canteens changed all
this. For six months, there was not a tan
confined in town. The confinements in gar
sick was reduced one-half, and scarcely
q man was seen intoxicated in the post.
Not only did this state of affairs exist, but
there was more money deposited with the
| paymaster each payday. showing that the
soldier did not drink up all his money, and
| when, at the end of about eighteen months.
my company left the post, it took out
nearly $500 savings, most, If not all, of
| which would lave gone into the hands of
the vile dive and saloon keepers in Rio
Grande City had there been no canteen.
AT Fort Mcpherson. Georgia, where l
was later stationed a still better state of
affairs existed. There a lunch room, a
billiard room, reading room with all the
prominent illustrated weekly and monthly
magazines ana a dozen Qd1lleS, was main
| tanned; a good, outdoor gymnasium, pro-
| vided with plenty of apparatus, purchased,
foot and baseball games supplied with
necessary outfit, and Git was a post of
eight companies) from $500 to $3.50 per
month applied to the lettering of the fare
of the men. 1t is perfectly safe TO say
that one-half. If not three-fourths of all
this money would. in absence of the can
teen, have gone out of the post and been
dissipated as above mentioned.
The limits of a newspaper article will not
allow full explanation of all conditions re-
lating to the much-maligned institution.
But TO the statement made In my presence
that 'it is thought by some that the reason
the officers want the canteen is because
they make money out OF it," I wish to say
that no outlay of funds. or keeping OF ac-
| counts. in any institution, public or pri-
vate, in this country. is more closely and
thoroughly inspected. and guarded. Not
only one, but four inspections of accounts
are made-two of them by officers totally
disconnected from the garrison, and one
wholly unknown to the purchasing and dis
bursting officer; and I now recall but two
instances of malfeasance in Office of the
| character mentioned, and in both those the
officers paid for their dishonesty by loss
of their commissions.
Regarding details Of soldiers to dispense
beer. ] desire TO say that 1 have never
known a soldier TO be detailed for Ii with
out his consent or against his will: and any
detail of one in that capacity has been for
hidden. AS for temptation to young SOL
diers. the beer selling. in garrison. is in a
room separate from the others, and no
treating is allowed