Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-12-29
An Army Officer Against the canteen

are those who are very strongly of the
belief that. it viii not be necessary for
the United States government to go IN
TO the saloon business, in order TO
cipline among the enlisted men of the
army. Colonel P. II. Ray, the able
commandment at Fort Smelling, near ST
Paul. Minnesota, has recently written
a letter. in which he calls sharply IN
question some OF the statements made
bv DIR. Searnans to the American Med
ical Association. at its recent meeting
in ST. Paul DR.. Seamans was very
pOsitive in his assertions. and among
them was one to the effect that not
rnore than per cent of American SOL
diers are total abstainers from the use
OF malt and alcoholic liquors. Colonel
Raw declares that DR.. Seamans is abb
solutely in error. both as regards the
percentage of drunken men in the reg
ular army and in his statement that
beer is necessary to providing a suit
able ration in the tropics. He says:
Il have never found that a drinking
place was necessary in any military
establishment 10 maintain discipline or
to preserve the health, comfort or con-
tent of any command when active OPP
erations are being carried on. / have
found such establishments to be q nui-
sance and often a menace to the well
fare Of a command in the field.
have often seen them abated with
rough hand. and always with good re-
suits.
When stimulants in any form are
nece ssary they should be issued with
out cost to the soldier and carefully
controlled. There il il our army. al
the present time better material than
in any other army in the world. and
this. if properly handled. viii make the
best soldiers.
To secure such result the drinking
element must not be encouraged. but
on the contrary. should be thoroughly
suppressed. The conditions existing at
both Chickamauga and Tampa should
H.. sufficient to deter any sane man
from again attempting the sale Of
liquor in n camp Of volunteers.
So far from being an aid to disci-
pIine in the army, Col. Ray makes ii
very evident that the canteen has
quito the contrary effect. In many
places ne says ono Of the worst feat
ures is having officers who serve the
troops handle intoxicants that make
men drunk, take their money and then
sit on a court 10 try them for being
drunk My observation has been that
company commanders who may be in
charge of canteen are very loath TO
prefer charges against men 10 whom
they have given credit with which to
Euy beer on which TO get drunk, for
have seen as much drunkenness in
cantAen as l ever saw in traders
store OF the old time. ! do not think
We are called upon TO accept an alter
native as some put it. or that can
teen is the lesser Of two evils; the fact
that it Is an evil is sufficient To con
denim ii and to confirm the action of
Congress as right and just.
SO long as officers do not counter
ance it. but consistently punish all
drunken offenders. beer drinking viii
not be popular in the army, rowdyism
viii disappear and discipline will i'm
prove ! believe that medical officers
and officers of the army agree that all
cohol il any form should never be used
rs beverage in the tropics. l regret
that the canteen has caused so much
contention, and that any part of the
army should be made so Extensively
notorious: but, now the matter is up.
! hope it may be settled. not only for
the good of the service but for hu-
manity. i hope there will be no more
legislation on the subject. and that
there is an end to retailing liquor 10
soldiers by any United States official
for any purpose"
In this connection it may be well to
say that everything should be done To
get rid of the Incorporate officers. l
viii be of little use to try to improve
the morale of the rank and file. when
those in command of them devote
more or less of their time TO drunken
debauches- While the tone Of o,,r
army is high. and the officers nc =
whole are men of the highest char
aSter. II is not strange that there arn
exceptions TO this rule. and they ,,s
not always in places of small resnonsi-
biii'y. The first thing in improv;,c
the standard OF the enlisted man u.;u
be to rigidly enforce an even birnar
standard among the men who a. -
govern them. and who NAV he ;,,s.,,.
Aire'ea 10 set them good example.
e benJarnin Andrews has brok-