The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-05
"BENo" INSTEAD OF BEER.
An Omcer's Observations of the Eff
feet of the Abolition of the Post
Cauteeu

GanteGn.
From the New York Evening Post
An army officer. who recently returned
to this vicinity after two years of field
service in the Philippines, said to-day
that the only persons in the East who
appeared 20 be reapng the benefits of
the abolition of the post canteens were
the dive-keepers and traders in cheap
whisky. The enlisted men. said this Off
Ger, whose condition the white ribbon So
cieties had tried to elevate, had been made
the victims of well-intended but mis-
guided legislation.
Johnny Green (the sobriquet of the
American SOLDIER will drink" declared
the shoulder straps land we might just
as well start on. these premises calling
BLACK black, and w-h-d-t-e white. He
drinks just like a man of any other class.
and sometimes more and sometimes less.
But out there, especially when YOU are
stationed In a wilderness. say 200 miles
from your nearest base of supplies and
400 miles from civilization proper, why.
there isn't much else to do when OF duty.
That does not mean drink your hide full.
It's what a soldier calls loosen up.' In
stead of the me;s sitting down In the
mud and growing, reciting their woes
and rehearsing every kick they might
have had coming for year, they used to
go to the canteeD. stretch their legs un-
der table such as it was play cards.
read the magazines and papers, smoke a
pipe, and drink their beer. The canteens
sold good beer at low prices.
IF man became obstreperous his
mates took him to his quarters, where he
was out of sight till he cooled off. Order
was always maintained. The soldier never
got any dquor over a post canteen bar,
but he could buy sandwiches. canned
food, jelly, fruit. and other delicacies.
And he had the satisfaction of knowing
that every cent he spent there was go
ing to come back to him in some way. be-
cause the profits Of the canteen were d.
vIded. by the officers. equally among the
companies. With these dividends the COM
panes bought fresh milk. butter. eggs,
fresh meat, and fruit to reduce the mon
otony of government rations at their
mess.
"'rhen the canteens we're abolished. It
was easy TO see the effect, almost in
stantly. Most of the small posts could not
support their club-rooms. Without a place
TO hang out the men became restless.
There was no cool beer to ease their
thirst. The men began to have grievances
or think they had. The enterprising ma
tives and spaniards began to start srog-
shops and dives In the neighborhood OF
every garrison. They sold poor whisky, a
local drink called 'beno,' distilled
rice and alcohol. which is said
to be the cause of most of the insanity on
the islands, and beer. But the beer was
g cents a bottle. and a soldier cannot
afford that The other drinks looked at
tractive, because they were cheap. Now.
when Johnny Green wanted a drink, he
usually got It, and the risk he ran I'm
going to these places. especially IL they
were forbidden BY the commandment lent
zest to the excursion. and resulted, Of
tentimes, in Johnny taking enough to last
him till he could come again. That is
to say, he got his bundle before he start
ed for camp.
1T often happened that before he land
ed In camp the 'beno and cheap whisky
had got Ia their deadly work and bemud-
died Johnny imagined himself IN a heht.
Nine times out Of ten, he woEld become
insubordinate, curse his superiors, be
thrown into the guard house. and his
amusement be brought 10 a close By a
eourtmartlal which sent him up for a
long term In a military prison.
Those are my impressions OF garrison
life with aud without post canteen. I
must say that more drunkenness among
thc enlisted men has come 70 my atten-
ton since the canteen Was abolished than
1 ever saw Ia the army No The aAss oe
ila prime"