The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-01-22
EX- CHAPLAIN IN ARMY WRITES
STRONG LETTER TO SEC
RETARY STIMSON.
GIVES HIS EXPERIENCES
TELLS OF EFFECT OF WHISKEY
ON SOLDIERS---DF,NY DRUNK
ARDS ENLISTMENTS is
Is HIS REMEDY.

ex-chaplain in the United States army
and a lecturer who IS we'll known in
Richmond. has sent a letter to Sec
rotary Stims0n, Of the war depart
ment, replying to the arguments in
favor Of the establishment Of the
army canteen, made before the house
committee on military affairs by Cen
eral Wood. General Wotherspoon. Con
gresham Bartholdt, Of Missouri, and
others
A copy Of the letter which was sent
to The Virginian by Captain Wells,
follows;
The Letter.
Houston, Texas, January Is, 1918.
Mr.. Stimson, Secretary of War,
Washington, ID. c.
Dear Sir,--I notice in the secular
press that AR. Stimson, secretary of
war, General Wood, chief of staff
Surgeon General Torney, Brigadier
General Wotherspoon and Represent
alive Barthoidt of Missouri, appeared
before the house committee on mill
tary affairs, January 9th. to urge the
committee to restore the canteen to
the United States army. Permit me
to say that this is the same commit
tee before whom / went in February
1900. to ask that the canteen be re-
moved from the army l should like
to give some reasons why / think the
canteen should not he restored and
Will offer you this letter. The facts
/ set forth III this letter 7 challenge
any one in the army or out Of the
army to deny.
l went TO Manila from san Fran
cisco on the transport Zeiandia with
the Ninth regulars, Captain II was
In command of the two batal1ions on
board. He was drinking all the way
and nearly every day, / would add
monish him not To drink wniskey.
saying he could not drink whiskey
and soldier in the Philippines He
replied that he was a graduate OF
West Point and an Indian tighter
for twenty years and could do any
thing he wanted to DO in the Philip
pines and drink whiskey. We were
thirty-one days going over. and he
was admonished nearly every day not
to drink.
Killed in Skirmish.
We landed in Manila and reported
to General Otis together for duty. He
was then drinking. on the same day
major. While still under the infiu-
ence Of drink he went at night north
OF Manila ten miles on the firing line
to arrange his battalion, and before
3 o'clock the next morning fell into
the hands of the Insurgents army and
was killed. The Insurgents cut him
TO pieces and he was never found.
parts of his clothing were found,
so one of his lieutenants told me. The
war department till this day has
never been advised what became of
| Major r. of the Ninth regulars. He
was a very fine man. No better heart
ed man ever lived than Major r.
He was a very valuable man in the
army. He was drawing salary of
1926 per month and was greatly be-
loved by every man on board. L had
! learned to love him, though ] had
not been associated with him but
thirty-two days. His death TO me was
very sad. The sadness was intensified
when l realized that whiskey was his
ruin and caused his death. With all
good qualities he could net soldier
inthe Philippines one day and drink
whiskey.
Now. 1 would like to ask you gem
tiemen who want the Canteen re-
stored TO the army this question: If
Major R., an Indian fighter for
twenty years and q graduate OF West
Point, could not soldier one day in
the Philippines islands and drink
whiskey. how can you expect 81 pri-
waite to soldier in the Philippines and
drink whiskey? Do you, Mr.. Score
tary, want to reinstate in the army q
LItllkA titdk AdASIG NzA$ ANSANAA AAA NA4-
day of so good and useful man to
the army as Major r.? Do you ?
You and General Wood, and General
Torney. and Wotherspoon ought 70
think a long time before YOU go 10
the house committee 10 have SO dead -
iy foe put in the army as saloon.
Working for the Living.
! Please don't say / am slandering
/ the dead. ! have told the truth. and
( GtznAArE
sworking for the living. u prevent
+ other losses in the army. No man
ever did more for Major R than /
/ did, / pleaded with him every day
for month not to drink whiskey be
cause it would ruin him and that Is
more than any one else on hoard did,
was his friend, he was mine and |
proved my friendship by pleading with
4 him to save hts own life. What more
could an army chaplain dor Deeds
make records and past records can
I never be erased For this reason, i
/ pray y0a toy be-. carefnl, What. .%nas do.
=! THE hand, IF aee4 .4w ssfTitsEss+ Ea%ssT.
/ often pray that God may guide You IN
+ your great and responsible work, and
/ that our officers and men at the tront
I NAV be shielded from every harm,
I Can q private do wha a major can
/ do? The first loss the Ninth infantry
sustained in the Philippine Islands
was a battalion commander, that, 700,
/ because he drank whiskey, dlsQualfY
ing himself for being a solder. WINS
4 key disqualifies man for anything
I but filling drunkard's grave
whiskey makes drunkards and drunk
ards are less needed in the army than
any where else. related this cir
cumstance to President Mckinley,
with several other EXPERIENCES l had
/ He heard me for more than an hour,
/ sent me to to see Mr.. Elihu Root,
then secretary of war | told him
/ the same thing, This Is why ! am
opposed to the canteen in the army
/ Why should | not give these facts
as my reason for being opposed to tho
canteen in the arny2 President Nc
! Kinley was opposed TO the canteer
in the army and sent me to see Mir
Root and tell him what / told the
president, in order to have Mr.. Root
then secretary of war. to take tht
/ canteen out of the army.
4 Men Who Oppose the Canteen f., the
Il ~ Army.
Il Admiral Dewey was opposed to the
4 canteen In the army, Admiral Schley
was opposed to the canteen in tbs
army, General Otis was opposed tc
the canteen in the army, and gave me
| special help in having 1t removed
II General Hughes, nay brigade com
mander. was opposed to the canteer
/ in the army and in some of my strug-
h syieS fo have IL removed. gave me dI-