The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1907-03-28
CONCERNING THE CANTEEN.

i favor of the canteen at army posts that
something should be said on the Other
side. Be it noted, first, that Congress
appropriated two million dollars fol
reading rooms, gymnasiums, ETC., te
supply the natural need of the soldier
for amusement. Until this money is
used and results compared it can hard
ly be fair to call the present law fail
ure. Brigadier- General Daggett, in ar
article in the Christian Endeavol
World, says the greatest objection tc
the canteen is its educative influence
1t was talked about-its dividends to
the company fund enlarged upon. II
was the thing. Every one lived in a
beer atmosphere" He tells of the first
canteen established-at Vancouver Bar
racks about 1882. "Beer was not sold
in it," Gen. Daggett mentions his visits
to this fort in 1888 and again in 1905.
about 1900 men were in the garrison
l was there during two pay days. There
are many saloons in the town, half a
mile distant. l saw many soldiers about
the saloons, perhaps 100; but suppos e
there were 200, where were the 1000?
Shall the blighting influences of the
saloon be resorted to just to keep this
minority in, even if it would do so?
Shall we hold out constant temptation
to the 1000, even if it would benefit the
200? The officers said breaches of disci-
pline were few" Writing in ''The Pres
byterian." B. W. Radcliffe, ex-member
in the Third Artillery, Clarkson, Wash,
says that ''all the quarrels in camp arose
in, or directly near the canteen, caused
by drunken soldiers, and it called for
constant vigilance to keep order, ar
rests being continually made" He also
says that ''many young soldiers now in
the service soon learned the dissolute
ways of the older ones; and money that
should have been saved, or spent in
harmless indulgences, went into the
canteen through the pernicious habit
of treating The wild scenes that fol-
low pay day and until the money is spent
are familiar to all at army posts. Off
duty the men naturally went to the
only place for social gathering in the
camp, which was the canteen." During
part of the year Mr. Radcliffe was sta
toned at fort where the canteen was
in ,1l of no fro,,
ferred to a post where there was Go
canteen. The list of those seeking to
be transferred to this fort was always
in excess of the number that could
be sent, as it was considered privi-
lege.) The 'change in conduct among
the soldiers was vast Improvement
over the other forts. The drinking
places outside the forts, are usually in
accessible to soldiers on duty. The
men who drink must conduct them
selves so that they can pass the lines in
an orderly, soldierly manner, if they
would avoid arrest. If otherwise, they
are, by this fact, obliged to remain
away until they can appear in good
condition. Any trouble arising is re-
mote from the fort, and thus removed
from the soldiers who enjoy different
surroundings "a prohibition post
shows in fewer courts-martial, in
money saved, and better men, physical
ly, mentally, morally" He adds, eff
any desertions could occur solely for
this reason, it would be for the good of
the service" as better men would en-
list.
Mr. Radcliffe likens the removal of
the canteen to the establishment of
prohibition in town, and asks ''Why
the soldiers may not have the same
privilege and protection as civilians,
who are at least given a vote on the sa-
loon question"
An editorial in the Illinois State Reg
lister says the arguments for the can
teen, showing the drunkenness, licenti-
BUSINESS and lawlessness Of the soldier,
are more startling as an exposure of
the character of the soldier than con-
vincing ''as to the need of the canteen.
"Why not weed out the drunkards?"
Writing from Phoenix, Ariz, to the
Z Mon Signal, c. H. Davidson says
what is bad for other men, is bad for
US. Drink places kept in soldiers quar-
tiers are no more necessary than drink
places in the quarters of other of the
worlds workers."
In 1914, assertions were POS per
cent. The sale of liquor in the army
was prohibited in 1877, and desertions
dropped to 81 per cent. Canteen was
established in 1889, and in 1900 there
were 1645 trials by court martial. The
canteen was abolished in 1901 and the
trials III 1906 were only 504. E. NJ. F.
No Case on Record.