Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-14
HITS ARMY OFFICERS
Attack by Speaker Before the
Anti-SaIoon League.
BLAME FOR DRUNKENNESS
=:
Says Post Exchanges Should Be
Made More Attractive-Close
of the Convention.
BLAME FOR DRUNKENNESS

That the officers of the United States
army and the War Department. are large
~ responsible for much of the drunken
ness in the army and for brothels near
army posts the assertion made today
by @. r. Munroe. attorney for the New
Jersey League, before the convention of
the Anti-Saloon League of America, at
the First Presbyterian Church.
In sentiment and action along these
lines Mr.. Munroe declared that the
British officers and military authorities
have left the United States far behind.
Mr.. Munroe was delegate appointed
by this government TO the worlds tenn
perance congress in London in 1904 and
while there heard Sir George White.
field marshal in the British army, speak
| of conditions in that army Mr.. Munroe
charges that while the British soldier has
to be real fighting machine, in our
army intolerable conditions are tolerated
because of the alliance of our govern
ment and the liquor traffic.
| He contended that army reports show
and illness since liquor was abolished
from the canteen and yet Maj. Gen. Wood
and other leading officers, even including
return to canteen beer, even though ''the
highest army authorities now admit that
the people will never return to the can
teen beer.
Mr.. Munroe said that our army lacked
up-to- dateness on the question of alb
stinencc now when the great railroads
and other corporations are turning down
the drinkers. He urged that the league
plan to convince the department heads
and the officers of the desirabiitY and
practicability of abstinence i'll the army.
Officers Sharply Criticised.
After sharply critcisng many of the
officers for not setting an example of
abstinence to the privates, for the good
of the service, Mr.. Munroe asserted
that at many army posts liquors are
openly sold at the officers clubs under
the gllSe of the locker system, while at
the same time the privates cannot buy it
at their own quarters. He also blamed
the officers for not earnestly and ell
GENTLY using the vast sums, averaging
s401.0O0 year, now, for eight years, to
make the post exchange quarters so at
tractiVe to men that they would rot be
driven for amusement to the denS that
cluster around army posts
Mr.. Munroe also charged the govern
ment and the officers with having d
feeble policy toward the dives, about
which they complain so lnucn, ana, ne
| said do lite.
| He claimed that there were but few
| hundred of these keepers of lawless
sncakeaSies or low-grade saloons, and
I demanded why they We're not put out OF
! business by i government that could
| graphic q Standard Oil Company or Il
| steel trust.
| Others who spoke at today's session.
which brings the convention proper 10 a
| close. were Rev. DIR. j. II. Gambrell of Daf-
| las, Tex, who told how prohibition was lost
and won in Texas; Rev. DR.. Erwin ;.
| Chapman of California, Ernest A. Scrog-
| in of Chicago and Mrs. Mary f. Craigie
representing the New York Woman's Suf-
! fraEe Association.
She pledged the support of the women
! of America in fighting the liquor traffic
and declared that woman suffrage would
! do more toward this; end than all the
! other efforts Employed Rev. DR.. Wilbur
I r. Berry of Maine and Judge A. Z. Blaii
! of Ohio also spoke.