The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-04-06
FIGHTING MEN DECRY DRINK
Lord kltehener's Views on Total Alb
stnence Coincide With Those Of
Lord Wolseley and Others.

Immediately on assuming fun au.
thority over armies IN the field. in
the Soudan war Of 1896. Field Mar
shal Kitchener decided that the ban
ming Of intoxicants should be a strict
law OF his command His knowledge
OF military history and biography
taught him the unquestionable supe-
riority OF the non-alcohollc method.
Had not the retreat and death Of the
gallant Sir John Moore at Corunna
been caused by the omission of sol
der through drunken carelessness. TO
deliver a message with which no was
entrusted? In the Egyptian war of
1882, when Lord Wolseley was hin
dered In his desire for an absolute
nongrog regime, was not the purpose
Of the surprise night march to Tel-el
kebil well nigh frustrated by tho
yells Of an intoxicated British sol
der? Kitchener knew that Have
locks renowned march to the relief
Of Lucknow. Sir Robert Napers mag
niiicent climb over the altitude OF
Abyssinia and capture OF Magdala.
and Wolseleys splendid advance by
river lake and cascade to Fort Garry
IN 1870 were all accomplished upon,
abstinence principles In these i'm
stances, especially in the latter two,
there was no crime. and also prac-
tically no illness among the troops as
q result OF the nogrog system
Ordere were therefore given\ by
Kitchener that no ntoxlcants were to
be supplied to the 10000 men under
his command When. contrary to these
/ regulations, some Greek merchants
| smuggled consigumeuts Of a vile in.
/ toNicating compound into Berber the
cases We're at once connscated and
/ the liquor poured upon the sand and
not down the soldiers throats For
| the Egyptian and Soudanese troops in
| kitcheners army no toetotal compul-
| sion was necessary, seeing their Mo
| hammedan religious principles re-
qulred abstinence from stlmulants.
Sometimes. however. the Soudanese
brew a kind Of beer called "Merissa."
but not drop OF this was utilized in,
the Soudanese portion of the Sirdar'5
camp. The British soldiers. Of course.
at first, according TO their privilege.
grumbled somewhat, but they soon
realized the undoubted advantage the
deprivation brought them To the
rule enioined upon the rank and hle
the General and the other leading Of
hcers also cOnformed From gener-
ais to drummer boys. not a single
drop Of liquor was allowed during the
famous march in the Soudan. and still
more famous battle OF Atbara Both
at officers mess tables and regimen
tai canteens tea and oatmeal water
were the drinks OF the day"
Fully satisfactory In every way
were the results Of this compulsory
total abstinence. The men we're per
fectly happy. there was no crime.
they worked better and were In
better health In such. splendid
condition we're the troops that
they were able TO traverse thirty
miles Of sand with empty wa
ter. bottles without quenching their
thirst from beginning to end OF tho
march For five continuous hours
Gatacre's men on one occasion tramp,
ed 10 miles on the desert route man,
oeuvering instead Of hating yet not
a single man fell out. "Of one thing
| am sure, wrote a news correspon-
dent the mortality from fever and
other diseases during the Atbara cam
paign the midsummer camp at Oar.
mali. and the final Omdurman cam,
paign would have been infinitely
greater than 1t was II alcoholic
liquors had been allowed as a bever,
age or even as an occasional ra,
ton" Some OF the usually uusatis,
factory men were so changed with
prolonged abstinence and hard work
as TO be scarcely recognizable Lord
Kitchener. General Gatacre. chap,
lains. and Lord Cromer all testified as
to the unquestionable advantages
which had accrued, the last mention
ed eminent Pro-Consul declaring tho
same amount Of work could not have
been accomplished had beer been
permitted.
To some extent, in South Africa.
similar nonalcoholic methods we're
employed in the grand march north
ward which Lord Kitchener assisted
Lord Roberts to lead. For weeks
Modder water was practically the
only drink obtainable Referring to
the remarkable absence of crime re-
sultant general officer stated THE
campaign has been run entirely on
teetotal principles, and the expert
ment has proved wonderfully success.
full"
More recently In times OF peace,
Lord Kitchener's influence has con
tlnued to be used in promotion OF
temperance among the soldiers. His
views coincide with those OF the other
field marshals Lord Wolseley. Lord
Roberts. Sir Geo White, and Sir Eve
lyn Wood. and his famous predeces.
sor. Sir Charles Napier. as expressed
in Wolseley's Soldiers Pocket
Book" "The old superstition that
grog is good thing for men before.
during, or after march has been
proved to be a fallacy and is only
still maintained by men who mistake
the cravings arising solely from habit
for the promptings Of nature"