The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-12
DEFENDS THE CANTEEN.
Ex-Scrgcant Mocrs Says It's AboIi-
ton Was III Adxfsed

When the Government took away from
tn; soldier In the Philippines his canteen
they robbed him-yes. they robbed him,
was the opinion expressed last night by
Benjamin N. s Moers. late sergeant In
Company F. Thirty-sixth Infantry, who
left Manila in February. Young Moers
was formerly first machnist In the navy,
and now. having been mustered out from
the Thirty-sixth Infantry. has resumed
his machinist's trade at the navy yard:
THE Government has now left the SOL
der heiDlcss,'' he said. "and has made
him an easy prey to that yiest of all de-
eoctions. the native vino. l suppose IL
ought to be taken for granted that SOL
diers Will drink little. When they have
their canteen they drink but very little,
and they take the mild things. such as
beer, in preference to stronger things
such as whisky. After having been out
hiking for twelve hours on a stretch a
| man is tired. When he comes in he wants
| a little something to brace him up and
| put him on his feet ogain.
For time in the Thirty-sixth, we had
| our canteen. We were twenty months on
| the firing line. and 1t was hard to get
| anything out to US. But the officers club
bed together and gave US canteen
While we had 1t everything went well.
| The men drank beer usually and it was
a rare thing to see soldier drunk We
could get all the tobacco we wanted at
a reasonable price. and we were not
| obliged TO go to the Filipinos for It, and
be charged 10 cents apiece for cigarettes.
About the middle of December orders
came that we were to close UP our can
teen. The results of taking it away were
apparent almost at once. In the first
place there was no tobacco to be gotten
except from traders who got out to rs
through the Filipino lines and charged
US $3.50 for email package of tobacco,
that we used to be able to buy at the
canteen FOR 10 cents The traders brought
some beer. too. but 1t cost 80 cents pint
bottle. Whisky and brandy that they
brought cost us s. bottle. In the can
teen We used to get beer for IS cents
quart. with a package of chewing gum
thrown In TO make good measure. Good
whisky cost only si.50 bottle. The men
had to have something. they took to
the vino - 10 cents a quart.
THE Filipines never drink vino them
selves, and they make it only for the
Spaniards and Americans. 1t comes in
three kinds-a muddy liquid. which is
three or four times as strong whisky,
in fact is almost plain alcohol The drink
and on distillation the muddy liquid comes
first 1t is followed by clear liquid,
which is weaker. and the last is a dark
green liquid. which Is about twice as
strong as our brandy.
The worst thing about vino drunk
Is that you do not get over it. IL takes
days and days to clear your head and
when you are under the influence of the
liquor you are fighting crazy all the time
That Is the reason why so many of the
boys come back and go into ST. Elizabeth's
Asylum If you go too far you never re-
cover.
Another trouble with the vino drink
ing, which Is forced upon the men by TAX
ing from them their canteen. is that 1t
makes the men less careful of the Fill
pinos- The soldier under the influence of
the drink will go among the F'ilipinos re-
CARELESS of his safety, and perhaps pick a
quarrel. He does not have to do much to
get trouble, because every Filipino on the
islands is an enemy of the white man IL
he gets in 3 quarrel 1t is ten to one he is
boloed. and that ends him
The United States Government by with
drawing the canteen is taking its protec-
ton away from the soldier 1t is exposing
the enlisted man and officer alike not only
to temptation, but TO a choice between
total abstinence, which he cannot live up
to, and to vino drinking. which he cannot
resist because the wine is so cheaD''