Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-13
THE BRITISH PLAN
Work Of the Royal Army
Temperance Association.
INSTEAD OF CANTEEN
BADGES AND MEDALS FOB CON-
TINUED soBRIETY.
Five Members Who Have Abstained
From Drink for Twenty Years
Expenses and Revenue.
INSTEAD OF CANTEEN
By VIM. E. CURTIS.

written for The Evening Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
The temperance agitators have taken
away the canteen from the army, although
every officer except General Miles believes
that 1t is essential to the welfare of the
troops. Various substitutes have been
proposed but nothing has been done. 1t
might be we'll for the temperance agitators
to study the work of the Royal Army Tenn
perance Association of India, of which
Lord Kitchener is president and Earl Rob-
erts, Lord Wolseley, Lord Curzon and
other eminent men are patrons. The Brit
tsh army has the canteen eyerywhere-in
Europe, Asia and Africa-and everywhere
it Is commended by every person of expe-
rience as promoting morals and discipline
as well as temperance. The only DIRECTORS
are the prohibitionists, who over there, as
in this country, believe that sin. crime and
vice can be prevented by statute
A British Invention.
The most practical criticism they have
offered against the army institute as the
canteen is called by the British, has been
that temperance men and even absta1ners
under that system are brought continually
into the presence of temptation, and are
compelled to associate with drinking men
and to take their recreation and rest In
clubs where liquor is sold. There is a
great deal of truth in that criticism, ana
the military authorities in India have rec
ognized it by assigning quarters, providing
furniture and other practical forms OF ala
to the Royal Army Temperance AsSoc1a-
ton, which was organized on the totai ap,
Stinence principle as far back as loo2, ana
has continued it's work until today. In
1888 all of the several temperance assocla-
lions In the British army in India were
consolidated with 1t, and there is now
very large organization sustained by the
higher military officers, the civil govern,
ors the clergy and other people VINO Ieei
an interest in the welfare OF the solulers.
In the list of patrons are five bishops, one
field marshal, one general, five lieutenant
generals, fifteen major generals, ten prlsa-
der generals, six governors ana the Slce
roy, The organization now has a branch at
every British barracks in India, where a
room is set apart for the use OF totai ao-
stainers with library, newspapers, maya
zines and all forms of amusement, ana
bar for the sale of soft drinks and light re-
freshments. This is done on tbs principe
that temperance men should nave She salhe
facilities for refreshment and amusemeni
as the nonabstainers, and it is the universal
testimony that the association has not only
promoted sobriety in the ranks, but mas
been very effective in securing employment
for discharged soldiers VINO nave peen
among it's members.
The business of the association is man
aged by Rev. J. H. Bateson, the general sec
rotary who is constantly travelling from
post to post inspecting the club rooms, en-
couraging the men and promoting the or
ganization in whatever way seems most eA-
pedient Out of a total average military
strength of 74,0O0 men in 1913 the memDer-
ship of the society was q, 4s9 in ls3
branches; the average for l9o2 was zi'o|''
| and in 1901 21,126.
Badges and Medals.
In order to Join the association soldiers
are required to take the following pledge:
| 81 promise, with Gods help, to abstain from
| all Intoxicating liquors, except when adj
mnistered incidentally, or in religious
ordinance, so long as 1 retain this pledge
| All members are probation for one
| month, and If an applicant shall have Kept
| the pledge for thirty days he is admitted as
| full member and pays monthly dues
| amounting to about 10 cents in our money.
| To encourage members to keep the pledge
| honors are conferred in the form of badges
| and models. For six months; twelve
| months; for two, three and up to ten years;
| then for fifteen and twenty years. The ten,
| fifteen and twenty year medals are orna-
mental and expensive, and good many
| men are wearing them. The following table
shows the number of medals bestowed upon
| members of the society last year, which in
dictates the success of the movement. 1t is
| quite remarkable that five men should be
| found in any army who have resisted temp
| tation for twenty years, or fifteen who have
resisted temptation for fifteen years:
Cruikshank badge for six months. .........S'4 49,
One year medal. ~ ID 10
The bar for two years. Observation-Disclosures. SoS
Victoria medal. two years. ................. 2oo
Beatty star for three years. ................ oSo
Lockhart bar for four years. ............... o3I
White star for five years. AL
The shield for six years 81
| HaYelOck cross for seven years. 2S2
| Assaye star for eight years. .............. S66
The medal for nine years. 20
Roberts medal for ten years. ................ -
Medal for twelve years .................. ~
| The badge for fifteen years. ................ 10
| The Bancroft cross for twenty years
Comparing these figures with those of the
preceding year it is found that there is an
advance of 671 in the total and 736 in the
| issue of Cruikshank badges, given after six
| months membership. which is the hardest
| to win. If man has kept the pledge tor
| six months it is easy for him to keep 1t
wear or five years. In addition to the
medals above mentioned special decorations
were conferred upon 416 members of the
| association who kept their pledge inviolate
under very trying circumstances during the
war in South Africa.
Experience of the Members.
In discussing the influence of the asso-
| ciation Mr. Bateson told me that an aver
| age of SO per cent of the members dropped
| out after less than three months member
ship. He said that they were usually able
| to secure pledges from a majority of the
| recruits and men in new regiments coming
| out from England, but nearly One-thtrd fell
| from grace within a short time, being UNI
able to resist the temptation and the ter
| rible climatic influence to which foreign
| soldiers from the temperate zones are SUBJ
| jected In the tropics. About - per cent
| of the members drop out between the first
| three months and the end Of the year, leav-
| ing about IS per cent who stick to their
principles. And as rule, If a man can re-
| sist temptation for a year in India he has
| sufficient strength to permanently abstain
Mr.. Bateson says that, all things consid-
4 cred, 1t is not to any mans discredit that
/ he should join the association for one, three
| or nine months and then give 1T up. The
| pledge of the association is so worded that
| this can be done without perjury. If the
] man thus described has made no real reso-
| lutte attempt to abstain from liquor, and in
| stead of being serious about the matter has
| treated 1t lightly, the leaders of the associa-
| ton let him alone and allow him to go his
| own way; but If, on the other hand, a man
| is really in earnest and has shown good in
| tentions, and has yielded reluctantly to
| temptation they endeavor to induce him to
| renew the pledge repeatedly, and to assist
| him in keeping it. He says that some of
| the best men in the association fell again
/ and again. but were finally able to cultivate
moral courage sufficient to resist tempta-
| ton. One man in particular violated his
| pledge more than twenty times, although
| each time he renewed 1t with determine
| ton of keeping it. Fortunately some OF his
| comrades who were familiar with his char
acter stood by him, assisted him in his