The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-12-11
Will FIGHT FOR THEIR Law
ANTI-SALOON LEAGUERSD DETER
MINED ON CASTEEN QUESTION.
An Address Issued to the Public - De.
spite the Opposition Of High Army
Officials the League Intends Go Use Hts
-NeceRaarV Preca uftoua TRIteD.


Utmost Efforts to Keep she Law Intact
Necessary Precautions Taken.
Washington, Dec. 10.-The most i'm
portant action to-day of the National
Anti-SaIoon, league was the unanimous
adoption of an address to the public on
the army canteen 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, and pledging the asso-
citation to do it's utmost to defeat any
attempt to repeal the law until it has
had a full and fair trial. The address
says:
What is popularity known as the
anti-canteen law has been in force less
than two years, Immediately following
years of trial of the canteen law, and
after lamentably large number of SOL
diers had contracted the drink habit.
According to the official report, just
published, of the inspector general of
the division of the Philippines, in sew
enty-one companies investigated be-
tween 10 and 80 per cent. of the men
drink to excess habitually.
Congress at it's last session appro-
priated $500,0OO to build, equip and
maintain suitable buildings at army
posts for the recreation and sociability
Of the men, and also increased the ra-
tons of the men five cents per day, and
thereby enabled them TO secure delica-
cies and other comforts without depend
ing therefore upon the profits of an
army saloon; because of the shortness
of time, these appropriations have not
as yet except in a very limited degree,
been utilized by the army.
High army officials have most per-
sistently pursued a course extremely
unfriendly to this law, and pursued it
in a way that it has thrown the whole
influence of the war department, with
the soldiers on the side of distrust of
and dissa tisfaction with the law, and
have persistently published misleading
reports concerning 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 under the can
teen law, the utter unfriendliness to the
anti-canteen law of the war depart
ment, and the non-test of the substitu-
tions possible through wise use of the
above appropriations by congress; not
withstanding all this official reports of
court martials show that the trials per
1000 men more than doubled during the
last three years of the canteen liquor
selling law, increasing from 42 per 1000
men in 1898 to 100 in 1900, and that since
the year 1900 Tin which is included six
months of the canteen liquor selling,
and eighteen months. of non-selling)
the courtmartials have decrease to 81,
that is, have decreased 80 per 1000. The
reports of the surgeon general of the
army show a market decrease of dis
ease. The admissions to the hospitals,
covering the whole army, in the calen-
dar year of 1900, the last year of the
canteen, 2311 per 1000 strength, while
during the calendar. year 1902 the adj
missions to the hospitals dropped to
1871, a decrease in a single year of
about 25 per cent. The same report
shows a startling decrease in insanity
Of about 33 per cent. In view of all
these considerations and facts the Anti
Saloon league declares itself unalter-
ably opposed to the repeal of the anti
canteen law and pledges to do it's ut
most, by petition, by agitation and by
ballot, to defeat any attempt to repeal
this law until it has had full and fair
trial, and that it will not cease this
agitation until the public and those who
control the army understand that liquor
selling in the army canteen is ques-
ton of national morality, and not alone
one of military regulation and that the
issue 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 a temperance society
when run by the army.
"The committee ON legislation of the
league is fully authorized to adopt such
measures as they may deem most effec-
tive to defeat any and all efforts to re-
legalize the selling of alcoholic liquors
in the army canteen."
At to-day session of the league Rev.
E. C. Dinwiddie, of this city, the ma
tional Legislature superintendent, and
Rev. Howard H. Russell, the general
superintendent, submitted their annual
reports and the work of the league
among the state legislatures was dis
cussed.