Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-12-18
ANlI-SAL0ON LEAGUE
Army Officials Scored for Working
Against Aati-Cantsen Law.
an ADDRESS ISSUED TO The PUBLIC
The League Opposed to Repsaling the Law
snd VIII Fight All Efforts to Reiegsi-
ise the Selling Of Liquors In tho
Army Cantsen

Army Canteen.
Washington, Dec. 1.-THE most
important action yesterday Of the
National Anti-Saloon league, now
holding its annual session here, was
the unanimous adoption of an adj
dress to the public on the army can
teen question, in which the charge
is made that high army officials have
persistently pursued a course ex-
tremely unfavorable to the anti
canteen law of congress. The ad-
dress pledges the association to do
its utmost to defeat any attempt to
repeal the law until 1t has had full
and fair trial and says:
what is popularity known as the
anti-canteen law has been in force
less than two years, Immediately
following many years trial of the
canteen law, and after lamentably
large number Of soldiers had con-
tracted the drink Notwithstanding
to the official report, just published,
Of the inspector general of the divi-
sion Of the Philippines, in Il eompa.
MES investigated between ten and IS
per cent. Of the men drink to excess
hsbitually.
Congress at it, last session ap-
propriated 100000 to build, equip
and maintain suitable buildings at
army posts for the recreation and So
liability Of the men and also in
creased the rations Of the men five
cents per day and thereby enabling
them to secure delicacies and other
comforts without depending there
for on the profits Of an army saloon;
because Of the shortness Of time,
these appropriations have not o. yet,
except in q very limited degree, been
utilized by the army.
High army officials have most per-
sistently pursued course extremely
unfriendly to this law, and pursued
it in a way that has thrown the
whole influence of the war depart
ment, with the soldiers, on the side
Of distrust Of and dissatisfaction
with the law, and have persistently
published misleading reports con-
corning the effects Of the law.
Notwithstanding the shortness OF
the time the law has been in force,
the frightful decentralization of the
army through the drink habit un.
der the canteen law, the utter un-
friendliness to the anti-canteen law
Of the war department, and the nom
test Of the substitutions possible
through the wise use of the above
appropriation by congress-notwith-
standing all this, the official reports
of court-martials show that the
trials per 1000 men more than dou-
bled during the last three years OF
the canteen liquor selling law, in
creasing from AZ per 1000 men in
1898 to 100 in 1900, and that since the
year 1900 lin which is included six
months of the canteen liquor-selling
and IS months of non-selllng) the
court-martiaIs have decreased to 81.
that is, have decreased 80 per 1000
men. The reports of the surgeon
general of the army show marked
decrease of disease. The admissions
to the hospitals, covering the whole
army, in the calendar year 1900, the
last year of the canteen, was 2,31l
per 1000 strength, while during the
calendar year 1902 the admissions to
the hospitals dropped to 1,79l--a de-
crease in single year of about 25
per cent. The same reports show a
startling decrease in insanity OF
about SO per cent.
"In view of all these considerations
and facts, the Anti-Saloon league,
assembled in national convention In
Washington, declares itself unalter-
ably opposed to the repeal of the
anti-canteen law, and pledges to do
its utmost, by petition, by agita-
ton and by ballot, to defeat any at
tempt to repeal this law until it has
had a full and fair trial, and that ID
will not cease the agitation until the
public and those who control the
army understand that liquor-selling
in the army canteen is question OF
national morality and not alone of
military regulation, and that the Is
sue is whether a handful Of officers
can safely defy the expressed moral
sentiment of the nation or that they
can successfully convince the people
that a saloon is temperance So
ciety when conducted in the army.
1.-THE committee on legislation OF
the National Anti-Saloon league Is
fully authorized to adopt such meas
ures as they deem most effective to
defeat any and all efforts to relegal-
lie the selling Of alcoholic liquors in
the army canteen."