The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1914-04-10
NAVY DRY AS SAHARA
,,,cpETARY DANIELS ISSUES A
VERY DRASTIC ORDER.
Tiouor From Every Ship and
Store Station After July L. In
o1udes Wine Mess of Officers.

,Iu1pS NiI1S N1CSS III OAANCA5s
urASHTNGTON.- Absolute prohi-
,;+;on will prevail in the United
cto+oe navy after July l next. Sec
1storv Daniels tonight made public a
.u,ooning order which will not only
oholisb the traditional wine mess"
- the officers, but will bar all alco-
boIic liouors from every ship and
shore station of the navy.
This order, constituting one of the
mast notable victories ever won by
orobihition forces, was issued on the
recommendation of Surgeon General
praisted. 1t was brief and to the
point: ... &c.
drinking purposes of alcoholic liq-
nors on board any naval vessel, or
within any navy yard or station, is
strictly prohibited, and commanding
oficprs will be held directly response
6ln for the enforcement of this or
der.
Statement by Daniels.
In a statement tonight Secretary
Daniels said:
u am in hearty agreement with
the views expressed by the surgeon
general. There should not be on
Shipboard, with reference to intoXi-
cants. one rule for officers and an
other and a different rule for the
enlisted personnel. The saddest hour
in nv official life is when an officer
or enlisted man must be punished
for intoxication During the past
week it has been my painful duty to
anDroye a court martial for dismissal
from the service of an officer for in
tOxication. He told me that he never
had tasted intoxicants until he did
so in the wine mess on the cruise.
Others who have been disciplined for
statements to me.
Officers now are commissioned
at the early age of % years. Has
the government a right to permit
this temptation, which too often de-
strOys the highest usefulness of the
young officers? l think not. If there
is one profession more than any 9TH
er that calls for a clear head and a
steady hand it is the naval profess
sion. Experience has shown the wis
dom of having no intOXicants on our
ships for the young men who enlist.
Uniform Rule Should Prevail.
Il believe experience has demon
strated that a uniform rule should
prevail in the navy for all who enl st
in the service, from the highest rank
to the youngest enlisted man or Off
Ger who comes into the service, ana
that abolition of the wine mess will
be justified"
The new order will replace that
section of the naval instructions
which permits the formation of wine
messes. This provision reads:
Ward room officers may form n
wine mess, of which all commission
ed and warrant officers attached t.
the ship may become members on
the payment of mess entrance fee,
but no officer shall be required to
become a member thereof. Suita-
bic locker room for wine mess
stores shall be provided when fitting
a ship for sea-
While admitting that the old reg
NANC4O4i NOhAOi IllO " IlC ACItCl VI civ
laws Surgeon General BREASTED, in
MS letter to Secretary Daniels, de-
clared 1T may be an open question
how far it fulfills those laws in spir-
It, He explained that the use of
alcohol Stimulants was inherited
with many Outworn customs at the
very birth of the American navy"
And reviewing legislation on the
subject he observed: 1T must be
clear congress has plainly set the
stamp of disapproval on the use of
lntoXicants by persons in the naval
and military service.
One Rule For Officers and Men.
AS matters stand today" wrote
me surgeon general, an enlisted
man is very properly subjected to
severe disciplinary measures if wine
OF beer be found in his possession
on shlpboard. Yet the same man is
constantly aware of the free use of