The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1901-07-10
Government Too Sharp for
Temperance Cranks.
REPORTS HELD BACK
What Post Commanders Say Not to
Be Revealed at Present.
WHAT WE WILL DO IN CUBA
no Haste I'm Withdrawing the Mill
tRry, Which Will Control
the Elections.

Tron TIE Journal B~rsa~. Room <5. Poss
Building, WashI~gtOn.
Washington, July 1O-July 1, the post
commanders at their several stations in
the country began preparing, for submis-
sion to the secretary Of war, their an
nual reports. Acting under Instructions
from the secretary, they will devote con-
siderable space to describing the work
ings Of the new anticanteen law. 1t is
assumed that these reports will be prac-
tically unanimous against the law, and in
favor Of a speedy return to the former
conditions, when the canteen was prom
inent feature of every well-regulated
army post. but it is impossible to get any
definite word from the war Office bear
ing upon the question. Unofficial com
munications from post commanders to
Secretary Root, General Corbin and to
tervals during the spring and early sum-
mer, were uniformly hostile to the new
law, and cited numerous instances where
it had worked to the positive detriment
of the enlisted men. While the depart
ment heads were willing to talk to the
newspaper men about these unofficial
communications, it is noteworthy that
they have little to say about the official
reports. some Of which are already In.
1t is not to be imagined that these re-
ports are less hostile to the anticanteen
law than the personal letters written by
the same men.
The refusal of the department to dis
cuss the official reports in detail is due
to the policy Of the secretary, who is de-
termined that he will do nothing which
will furnish ammunition in advance for
the temperance forces, which have or
ganized in every city and state to work
against the laws repeal. The official re-
ports now coming in will form the basis
of Secretary Roots recommendations to
the president and congress, in December,
and he wants them to go to congress and
the country without comment, save that
which he may care to make Should the
reports be made public during the sum-
mer and fall, the temperance forces would
make active use Of them, and come to
congress in the opening days with re-
plies which the secretary would be un-
able to meet, for he Will have no op-
portun1ty to discuss the question off,
cially after his report shall have been
submitted.
Word received in Washington points to
one Of the hottest campaigns before con-
gress next winter that the temperance
people of the country ever have waged.
They regard the passage of the anti
canteen law as a distinct victory for their
cause, and an important step in the di-
rection of national prohibitory legislation.
They Will regard a repeal Of the law as
amounting to a serious repulse, and pro-
pose to muster all their available forces
in Washington to prevent it. They know
full we'll that the secretary of war is
collecting evidence from the several post
commanders, and that that evidence will
be in favor of the repeal. To be fore
warned In their case is to be forearmed.
and they will try their best to get hold
OF the secretary's report before 1t goes
to congress, and will inspect the army
posts with a view of offsetting the re-
port.
Congress will be up a stump, and will
not know what to do. It is certain that
a repeal bill, based on the secretary's
report, will be introduced early in the
session. and that it probably will be IA
vorably reported, although after a hard
contest, from the military affairs commit
tee Of the house. The question is. how
will the members divide upon the floor
when it comes to call the roll on final
passage? Many members who last win
ter voted to abolish the canteen, have
personally called to see the secretary of
war to tell him that they didn't fully un-
derstand the issue then, and will be pre-
pared to vote the other way next time.
II these members are to be depended
upon. there are probably enough of them
to turn the scale against the new law.
But the gauntlet of temperance criticism
and impassioned appeal is yet to be run.
1t Is the understanding that the con-
test will be made in the house first. Ger
tain Of the senate leaders are said to have
asked this, saying that If the house can
be induced to repeal the law the senate
will follow suit without especial urging.
provided the report OF Secretary Root is