The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-01-22

canteen in the army and / wonder
that any sober soldier would be in
favor of 1T. When I was in the SER
vice / did not know OF any officer
who did not drink whiskey who was
IN favor Of the cantrrn in the army.
Every officor who drank whiskey and
gambled did want the caRteen in the
Narmy. ] was there and / know. /
speak with authority and not as the
scribes and Pharisees. ! can give the
names of officers in the army who
were drunk for q month at time
who never were able to do duty.
Sick because of whiskey, every one Of
this class of men were in favor Of the
canteen remaining in the army. l
am ready to go before this committee
again and will be in Washington for
the inauguration services, and IL the
I'house committee on military AFFAIRS
wants more evidence l will give 1t.
why do you want IL restored? If
You will offer one intelligent reason
/ for wanting it restored, / will answer
You with all the argument you want
10 hear. giving facts, day and date
/ Of similar experiences you cannot dis
( prove.
Calls Argument Nonsense.
In is nonsense toasay we need the
Csnteen in the army to keep soldiers
sober or that we can have better dis
cipIue In the army IL whiskey is
where soldiers can get it easily. No
one believes that a man is easier dis
ciplined when he is drinking than
when he Is sober. You do not need
a saloon in the war department to
keep your clerks sober. You would
be insulted IL i were to argue you
did. The president does not need a
saloon in the White House to keep
his stenograp pliers sober. The pension
Z pff1Pa docs n need "a fpaT n that
big office to keep its employees sober.
Why is il that the canteen Is needed
in an army post to keep the soldiers
sober? Please answer. If ! remem-
Der correctly when | was before this
committee in 1900 / proved that the
death of more men in the Philippines
was due to whiskey and bad women
than bullets The hospital books
/ We're my evidence. They do not lie.
If IL had not been for whiskey in
the army while / was in the Philip
pines twice as much lighting could
have been done and at one half the
expense. II only sober men were
accepted by the recruiting officers,
one-half the number would be enough
for the standing army. Why should
our government take a drunkard In
the army? NO merchant viii hire a
drunkard for q clerk. why should our
government want him for a soldier.
If the recruiting officers were more
exacting in their demands, better
class of young men would enlist in
the army. a drunkard does not en-
list for patriotic reasons, but he en-
lists to drink whiskey, shoot crap,
and run around every time he can
+ get excused by his company COM
mander. We do not need this kind
+ Of men in the army.
/ Prevents Enlistment.
The fact that so many OF this kind
/ of men are In the army IS the reason
why some good men will not enlist
{ Since I was mustered out of the army,
more than one thousand good men
/ have told me that this is their reason
I for not going into the army. l was
! in the army long enough 10 learn that
/ IL the company commander stayed
sober himself and set a good example
to his men, and his heutenants, they
would not have any trouble disciplin-
1 ing the private. The officer should
not only stay sober, but teach his
men that every man in the army
should be as well behaved as major
+ general. AS the saloon makes drunk
ards in civil life, SO the canteen
makes drunkaris in army life. Wits
! key makes drunkards and drunkards
j do not make soldiers. Let the can
/ teen. Mr.. Secretary. remain where il
I is if you please. II is not needed In
( the army to make soldiers sober
/ / have the honor to be
/ Yours sincerely,
FRANK NJ. WELLS,
T Evangelist, EX-Chaplain First Tennes'
I see Regiment, United States lnfan-
/ try. My Official Address is Jack
/ son, Tenn.