Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-21

the company funds. Every month
statement was made to the commanding
officer of each outfit Many fancy
Sunday dinner was furnished the soldiers
which were used to purchase foods not
issued by the QuartermasterS department
in the regular rations- Every week can
teen checks were issued by the top SER
at the canteen for cardboard or brass
chips designating purchases from L to
80 cents.
Today the canteen Is no more. The
enlisted man no longer has his social
club. Congress. by giving in to the
whim of temperance organizations un-
acquainted with inside conditions in the
army. practically compelled the soldiers
who drank, and many who didn't, to run
to saloons and dives outside the posts.
At the same time it abolished the enlisted
mems social club. Now. instead of drink
ing beer which underwent close inspec-
ton when the canteen existed, the SOL
diers drink ''rotgut'' and 'varnish-
When the canteen existed a large per-
centage of the regulars seldom left the
army posts. They found companionship
and social intercourse among their COM
rades in the canteen- Today me 1t OF the
soldiers spend their spare time In and
around the dives and dens in the vicinity
of the army posts and beyond military
inspectors. AS rule. the soldiers VINO
We're subject to excessive drinking could
be taken care OF when the canteen ex-
listed. The officers in charge had them
spotted. and watched that they did not
drink too much, which was seldom when
the drinking was confined to beer Then
the canteen was located few yards from
the barracks, and the intoxicated ones
could be sent to their bunks-or placed in
the guardhouse until they sobered up.
The canteen officers exercised the same
authority as police officer In civil life.
Besides, when the habitual drunkards
could draw checks for beer during the
month, they generally spent all their
money in the canteen before payday and.
therefore, did not have any money left to
carouse outside the posts. This worked
to the advantage of the mess funds of
the various outfits" instead Of encourag-
ing the development of a horde of boot
leggers' and parasites which may be OBJ
served around every army post
Today the outskirts of nearly every
army post prove the mistake and the
folly OF abolishing the canteen. Now
every army post. nearly. has its can
dump" In the lockers of the soldiers
may be found tin buckets which are used
to carry beer from these "can-dumps-
At Jefferson barracks. about eight miles
from St. Louis Mo, there is one that Is
a disgrace to the state and TO the nation
II is located just outside the military res
eryation No police officers are there TO
see that the laws are obeyed. In and
around 1t scores of the most debased
women live from one months end to the
other and leech upon the soldiers. JEFF
ferson barracks is recruiting rendezvous
where rockies are given the first rudl-
ments of military training, and this Is
fine environment in which to begin their
army careers. At the army posts where
there are no 'can-dumps." saloons and
'.speak-easies'' answer the same purposes.
Or, what is worse. "boot-legging'' Is car
ried on to a frightful degree.
There is no doubt that the abolition of