Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-09-03
THE ARMY CANTEEN
THE ARMY VNN CCN
is Urqed and Requested by Gen. Bald
win in Annual eport.


baldwin. commanding the department
of Colorado. I'm his annual report t" the
secretary of war. makes an urgent plea
for tho re-establjshment of the army
canteen as being for the best interests
of the service. The general directs at
tention to the remarks of Lieut.. Col.
George NJ Dunn, judge advocate OF
his department. in regard to the nuns
Der of court martial cases among the
enlisted men the last year Col. Dunn
saws there have been 2O1 such cases,
244S trials by summary court-martlal
and 33S desertionS. In this connection
he adds:
"These assertions can be i'm large
part attributed to the malign influence
of saloons near the reservations Sc
ducing enlisted men from the paths OF
decency. This is only another of the
many arguments in favor of restoring
to the army the canteen. which pro-
vides places of amusement and social
intercourse where men could get light
refreshments under restraining, decent
and orderly influences"
In commenting upon these remarks
Gen. Baldwin says: 81 fully concur in
these views and trust that the sale Of
beer and light wines, under proper re-
strictions, may again be authorized in
the post exchange. If men are unable
to get a glass of beer in a decent and
orderly manner in the garrison they
will resort to the vile places which
cluster around the borders of the res
ervations where they drink all manner
of alcoholic beverages and often sink.
into debauchery and ruin.
$50 long as the misguided Christian
women of America insist upon carrying
the canteen question into politics
young soldiers whose powers of re-
Sistance to temptation are below the
normal. or not firmly exercised, will
| continue to fall victims to the plaques
of service in India and the Orient gen.
orally This is one of the closing sem
fences In the annual report of Brig.
Gen. William II. Carter. commanding
the department of the Nisayas in the
, Philippines. He further says that with
| the well-regulated post exchange Of
| former days the weak had a choice Of
| evils and generally chose the least
| Inc pure beer of the exchange. The
| construction of the new posts has been
and disreputable people. The expert
ence of the army during the past six
years has left no doubts in the minds
of those of long service in these islands.
says Gen. Carter that the effect of ma
tive drinks on Americans is violent and
| deleterious in the extreme, and the
men generally appreciate that fact
Brig. Gen. Jesse NJ. Lee. comma nding
the department of Texas. is another Of
the high army department commanders
70 add his evidence to the i'll effects of
the abolition of the canteen. In his
annual report he says: "Desertions
continue without any marked decrease,
and they will be in about the same
| ratio so long as the conditions remain
the same. such as the constant access
siOns Of recruits and the ease with
| which men can desert upon the slight
| est grievances or discomfort" He says
the causes Of desertions have been
| threshed over so much i'm past years
| that 1t is not necessary to repeat them
| here. further than to say that the prin-
cipal factors are drunkenness. evil
associations. frequenting vicious re-
sorts and insensibiity to the sacred
| obligations of the oath upon enlistment
and thereafter While almost every
thing possible has been done for the
care and comfort Of the soldier-the
improvement of the ration, establish
ment Of expensive and deliberately
equipped exchanges. gymnasiums,
amusement rooms. etc.-the evil con-
tinues without material abatement.
The effect Of the abolition of the can
| faan c n unauthorized All
sentecism. promote drunkenness AMI
disorder. all tending directly to include
assertions.