The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-07-01
EETOTALERS SHOULD ] HAVE TIE PREFERENCE Gen. A. s. Daggett Makes Suggestion for Eradication of Army Drunkenness. IN ADDRESS ON
 ARMY CANTEEN Says They Should be Fa- vored in Promotions and
 to Desirable Details.

General A. S. Daggett, of the United States army, spoke under the auspices of the w. c. T. U. at United church yesterday afternoon. His subject was "The Army Canteen." General Dag gett has witnessed the workings of the canteen from it's origin to it's abolish ment six years ago, and he called 1t a great evil.
 S As remedy for drinking in the army csAneral Daggett said: If the Wash ington authorities should send out an order stating that, other things being equal, the total abstainer should have preference in promotions and desirable details, the army would be greatly im- proved within 6 year, and in five years would be revolutionized."
 The meeting yesterday afternoon was opened by Scripture reading and pray CT by Rev D. D. Munro of the Calvary Baptist church. The speaker was in- troduced by Rev. Artemas J. Haynes, pastor of United church. MT. Haynes said that, by an army rule If General Daggett made any extravagant or false statements he would be liable to court martial and dismissal from the army His statements, therefore, could be taken as authoritative.
 In opening General Daggett said: T want first to speak word in praise of the W. c. T. U., that noble band of women who have wrought so much good work in favor of temperance, both in and out of the army.
 T want to divert to the subject of The Hague convention before speaking on the canteen. I am opposed to war except in eases of absolute necessity, in self-defense or in relief of those lu danger of massacre There is no need Of war in this enlightened day The great event of the nineteenth century was not Austerlitz, or Wagram, or, in- deed, Gettysburg, but the first meeting Of The Hague convention. believe there are persons in this audience who will see wars done away with. I am in favor of The Hague, and not in favor of ships and guns
 General Daggett then started on the subject of the "CBnteen." He first ex- plained the relations between the can teen and the post exchange. The post Nexchange, he said, had four main de- es-one for the sale of general Srchandise such as is alEays needed about an army post. It usually has a ( fully equipped gymnasium Thirdly, 1t has library and reading room, and, fourthly, lunch counter. The canteen or saloon formed the fifth and, until its abolishment, the principal depart ment.
 ( In February, 1892, an order from the war department separated the canteen from the rest~es the post exchange, making ic a separate institution.
 General Dagett said that the "can- teen'' had it's origin at post in yan- couver. An army officer at that sta- ton noticed that his men went off to the town for refreshments and amuse- ment and he set his wits to work to devise some means of keeping them within the confines of the garrison. AEIe fitted up building, and with the 9id of the women of the garrison made
 very attractive, But at first there gas nothing detrimental to the morals of the men of the garrison and it was mot until two or three years after that a beer counter was introduced as a part 2f the attractions of the place.
 But the scheme did not keep all the seen inside the camp. There were some who would go outside. A "canteen" was established soon after in the post al Eprt Spokane, Wash. The men whom
 eneral Dagett, then captain, com
 landed at that place S'd not come so
 Erongly under it's effects. He took ireat pride in standing before them
 Very morning bright eyed, willing
 lot of young men. Later the company 3Kas sent to Omaha. There was a can- teen at the place. Beer was carried in mot by the wagon loads but by the car load and within year time the splen. did line of men was transformed into a tsodden faced lot As he walked down ] the line he often found half of the men more or less under the effects oi drink.
 General Daggett said that he had often seen the men in the saloons o the city lined up at the bar four or flvt Z deep, in spite of the existence of the canteen, which was supposed to keer AsfR6m within the camp. There were more men absent without leave and more court martials than when the company was in washington
 It all depends on the location of the station as to whether the men will bt kept by the canteen, General Daggett said In some prohibition states, where the men cannot get any outside, Ii serves the purpose of keeping them in side. He told the story of long march made by his company through the state of Kansas in which there is local option. He said that when they were passing through no license coun. ties it was noticeable how the men i'm. proved in looks and attention to du- ties. At another time when his com. laIly was atleiluilS Stdle ellCdInp' ment in Iowa, which is a no license state, the men improved great dea and men asked to be assigned to com ! panies in no license states saying thai they could not resist the temptation when near the saloon or canteen.
 General Daggett told of another case which happened in the Philippines. The men had not been paid for severa { months When pay day came there was