Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-10
Favor Armp Canteen.
Prominent Religious Workers Are With Movement for Its Res
toration-Rev. Teunis S. Hamin Rabbi Loeb, Evan
gelist Valiant and Archbishop Messmer Among
Nunber-Cause of Brownsville Affair.

A few days ago an officer of the District
branch of the Independent Order OF Recha-
bites sent letters to nearly all of the clergy
men of this city, asking for their views on
the army canteen question. The replies to
these letters, in some instances, made in
teresting reading. What the army people
and the veterans organization, together
with their auxiliaries, call the common
sense" view Of the question was taken by
many Of these religious workers.
In order to discover If possible the view
taken Of this question by religious workers
of the city a representative of The Star
made inquiries and secured several express
sions of opinion, representing widely diff
ferent phases of religious work. The pastor
of one Of the foremost Protestant churches
of the city, leading Jewish rabbi and an
evangelist Of a Pennsylvania avenue mis-
sion all favored the restoration of the can
teen. In addition to this an Associated
Press report from Milwaukee says that
Archbishop s. G. Messmer of the Roman
Catholic diocese of Wisconsin has come out
in an interview favoring the restoration of
the canteen on temperance grounds, like the
others.
new position is taken on this question
by Rev. Dr. Teunis 8. Hamin. pastor of
the Church Of the Covenant, Presbyterian,
which is located on Connecticut avenue
northwest and counts among it's members
some of the most prominent and influential
men and women in the District. In his let
ter to the officer of the Rechabites he de-
clared that he could not conscientiously ia
vor the continued abolition of the canteen.
On the other hand, he said he was In favor
of it's restoration with certain notifications
1t is these notifications which make his
position unique.
A representative Of The Star called on Dr.
Hamlin yesterday and asked him to express
his opinion in regard to the canteen. This
he did willingly.
II favor the restoration of the canteen,"
he said, "as a practical temperance meas
ure. The ideal, of course, would be an army
of total abstainers; but that ideal Is unat-
tainable, so that the question Is between
moderate drinking under official supervision
and control and unchecked drinking in sa-
looms adjoining posts and forts, with OPP
portunity for other immoralities.
1.-TWO notifications are desirable in can
teens as formerly existing in the army.
First, no soldier should be required to serve
in a canteen as salesman against his con-
scientious scrupleS. This question came up
repeat teddy during the existence of the cam
teen and evidently perplexed many soldiers
well as their parents. Such soldiers were
compelled to serve under penalty of court
martial or dismissal. Conscientious scru-
pies should be regarded in this case as in
all other cases under the laws Of the land.
Secondly, no profit should be made on any
article sold In canteens. Under the old sys-
tenn soldiers were urged to buy and to drink
on the plea that the accruing profits went to
improve their mess. That argument for
drinking the wine and beer sold in the can
teens should be abolished.
"In addition to the foregoing on rational
grounds my mind is Influenced by the we'll
nigh unanimous testimony of army officers
that the morale of the army has notably
deteriorated since the canteen was abol-
ished. The argument that young men ac-
quire drinking habits at the canteens who
would otherwise remain total abstainers
seems to be discredited by experience. And
at all events soldiers, like other men, cam
but must be taught and as far as possible
helped to resist"
Capt Theodore Valiant Of the Homeward
Bound Mission who is one Of the most pop
ular city mission workers of the District.
delivered one of his regu. Friday night
sermons on this subject this week. He said
in part:
IF the only question for the reformer
were what men shall do and what they
shall not do 1t would be very easy to re-
form the world. However. as man Is con-
he Is seldom willing to follow the
dictates Of the other. If We want to lead
him we must take him as he Is. with all his
lcllNdtlOtlS HdUltS CuStOLlS anu piOpSLoi-
ties. When we fail to do that, when we
treat him as a mere object of reform, dis
regarding his individuality and only consid-
ering our views and intentions, We are
bound to make failure of our intended
reforms.
Such q failure has been the abolition of
the army canteen. 1t may be better for the
soldier to abstain from the use of stimu-
lants, but since it is perfectly clear that,
with some exceptions, he is not willing to
abstain. and that the desire for stimulants
is strong in him, the practical thing to do
is to crafty this desire In a manner not in
furious to him and the service. This was
done by the establishment of the canteen
where the soldier could obtain beer, a mild
alcoholic beverage, of which only one-thir
tieth part consists Of alcohol. and which
hardly ever produces drunkenness.
1.-The abolition of the canteen did not