The sun., 1903-12-09
THE ANTI.CANTEEN SIDE.
A Defence OF the Anti.Canteen Law by
Its Author.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: Your
editorial OF Dec. 2 in favor OF the restoration
of the oanteen as "a temperance measure
by which the soldiers would be kept from
outside saloons. curiously overlooks the two
most important facts In the case. first OF
which is that Congress has appropriated
million dollars to furnish wholesome sub
stitntes for these outside resorts. In the form
OF gymnasums and other amusements, which
the War Department has been slow to
provide. a year having elapsed since the first
appropriation was made. and none of these
wholesome rec!eatons being yet fully avail
able.
Surely Congress will say. and every fair
minded man will say. that nothing should be
done about restoring the canteen until the
gymnasium policy has been fully and fairly
tried. 1t should be remembered that in the
British army, the officers being In full SYM
pathy with this policy in the interest Of mill
tary efficiency. one-third OF the soldiers have
voluntarily become abstainers. and are very
proud OF their superior record for health and
athletic endurance. Of which the commanding
officers make much in their reports.
The other important thing which your
editorial, like most Of those on that side of
the question. overlooked is that the navy.
after trying the canteen as a temperance
measure under Long and Roosevelt. aban-
doned IL and has followed the other policy
consistently and successfully for the suc-
ceeding years up to now. and at the Bremen
ton Navy Yard has shown how outside re-
sorts can be suppressed when the authorities
of the Department desire it.
There is great amount Of patronage con-
nected with any military station. whether
of army or navy: and by threatening to with
draw that patronage the dens that were cor
rupting our marines and naval employees
we're very quickly suppressed through tho
80 irkH -. .;xi
zens,, who would otherwise lose much Of the
shs sss
once stand out in all their real absurdlty: but
II is conveniently forgotten In the articles on
behalf OF this, twice outlawed institution.
terfered t,.r With by law Of Con sress except the
bar where the beer and wine were sold. All
left untouched. but some military officers
have discontinued the post exchange en-
s Sr TN Of Ss Of be. bsssas
Your editorial refers to statistics given by
Col Church. but against his opinion we have
Miles Hi shaiter' HoRsrd' %heeier. f Boynton % on
and many more soldiers Every student
1 Ss is e.: !9osy Resuhss shs
,Sls 81 saSsss @ i5en shs hs'f Ssisx sSs sSsbss =
prove that the oanteen diminished drSnten-
trary, Nor has the abolition Of the army
soldiers. The evils that now exist In the
" beer wss Probhibisted: his (, is at least partly
viii examine the matter that many OF the
military officers now on duty have been
actively working for the restoration OF the
s4f hSyf ha nGt n ed to en-
l'To srl shose VIZ VI J 5emsmeer TeRnyson's 3 words
obedience to orders~"Thelrs not not TO 70 reason reason
why, Theirs not to make reply"--it would
seem evident. that when Con gress issued
pressed. the, War Department and military
officers should have executed the law without
any legislative discussion whether it was
to repeal the law committed TO them for exc
The full strength OF the war Department and
Of post commanders has been systematically
devoted to reversing the action Of Congress
from the very hour the law was made.
1t bs 70 bs as ses Is future
repeal OF the enti-canteen law is not even
70 be considered pnti The approximation made
6xs i pooS y and .s Hfsd re aed the
1t is, Inaccurate to, say, that the canteen
was abolished BY the Womans Christian
Reform, Bureau drew the FIRST snti-canteeH
| law and the Anti-Saloon League the second.
and Congress ps;;;ed both M Laws by more than
ported both bills by petitions, but the state
mcnt that they alone ', , urged II f. manifestly
share. WlLBr r. CRAFTS,
wAsHINGToN. Dec s.
The New Time Division.
! Father Mabel. | think that young mans calls