Evening star., 1914-05-18
Secretary LanieIs' Anti-Grog
Order Makes 1t Exception
Among Powers.
SOBRIETY AN INSISTENCE
WITH THE OTHER NATIONS
Utility and Efficiency Now Impera.
tive in the Modern Warfare of
Naval Gunners.

SPECIAL Correspondence OF Tie Star.
LONDON May 2-Sec-etary Daniels
recent order prohibiting alcoholic liq-
uors to be used on vessels of the navy
OF in the boundaries of a naval yard
or station has been much discussed here
Except for Canada, which perhaps as
naval mower NAV at present at least
be ignored, there is other navy IN
The world run on teetotal line. Partlai
efforts in this direction have been maoe
in other countries. but no similar order
has ever been given.
King Edward had circulated prlVatei4'
shortly after his accession to the throne,
:. notice intimating to the ofhcers OIL
+be army and navy that he would reel
himself lust as much honored by haVlhs
his health drunk i'll cold water as III
wine or spirits This was because OF re-
norts of heavy drinking reaching the
king and because several teetotal OIL
ce-s were having a hard time through
,efusin. to drink the loyal toast IN WINE.
In Germany the kaiser is all 1or the
cause of temperance. He does not en-
force total abstinence, but ne hlahs
known that a departure from soprleIs
will entail disgrace. although he real
ICES. as does Sailor King George tiat
10 seafaring men. who are calleo upot-
10 face the fury of the clemens, Sp..
are often of the greatest benelt ds
restorative after extreme eXhaustioii anu
exposure In the navies or france.
Italy, Spain and Austria the men
their daily ration of spirits, ana Wiz VIZ
Is on the mess tables of all the ofncers,
although the Latins are SOBER race anu
drunkenness is very severely Punlsheo'
Grog on British Ships.
The daily allowance of gros to the
crew is still continued on BRUSH wa
ships. Yet officers have no" s'rie'
orders that. in place of the douoie a.
1owance of spirits which was 1oriiiefis
served out to crews when eoihs iiieo
action, not d drop of Spirits vine y.
malt is to be allowed to officers or men
during battle. In order TO Stake .He
,hirst consequent upon the heat, eNeftloi,
and smoke. supplies OF oatilieh sh,, '
,.atsr are provided all over the snip.
a,hi. Is not a revolution which has oeen
,ronnted merely by ethical consloefa
tons Utility and efhclshty .,Ia 1a ;s no
il Imperative. 4 naval Datus i-ons
longer a close fight with grapphns IRONS
and short swords. 1t Is q matter u
siehting with the most perfect precision;
rhe issue of a battle today 1has ,,.iS,aS
upon the exactitude OF one wen ..are,. .i of
shot from a big gun. 1t is no longer ~
any avail to plug a battleship "ier VIZ,
small shot and aunnery records are not
built on a Foundation oil sros.
The result is that, whereas III
Rritfsh navy drunkenness was 1orlner4!
rreated with good-natured Indulgence, II
is now punished with such great seFeItss
as practically to make 1t extinct. O1n.
GERS may insure court-naroat la. 49, nf he.
ing bereft of their senses Inc 4edsl
depa rture from perfect sobriety is now
made a subjeet Of disciplinary action
and the result is that many onlcers pre-
ha total
The modern warship is perhaps the
most complicated piece of mechanism IN
existence Everything Is done ey etee ,es
abin from which the captain directs
every movement of the ship. has IT'S
walls literally covered with electric push
buttons and small levers. II is essen.
tial, therefore. that every faculty OF
the human brain should be keeniy alert
and sharpened to the finest point to
know which button or which lever 10
touch in a moment OF emergency. me
slightest mistake might mean an ap-
pall!ng disaster, resulting not only in
the loss OF a battleship, representing IN
cash 100000, but GOO or 500 human
lives 1t is natural that men with a
responsibility like this on their shoulders
DO not care to risk the results OF strong
drink: they hardly need any such edict
as has been issued by Secretary Daniels
20 keep them sober.
IL was only thirty years ago that Queen
Victoria. when cruising in the English
channel on one of her steam yachts.
seated herself with her ladies-in-waitinS
TO the lee of one of the forward deck
cabins on a very windy day, and was
quietly reading when she noticed an un-
usual commotion among the crew and
officers of the ship. They kept constant
y approaching her stopping short.
whispering, becoming confused and
withdrawing with a very perturbed look
on their faces. The queen became very
curious. and. catching sight of Admiral
Sir John Fullerton. who was In COM
!nand, she summoned him and inquired
what was the matter, and whether a
,nutiny was brewing.
Queen Victoria Sampled Grog.
Almost, ma am" he replied. You see.
ma am, you are sitting with your back
10 the cabin where the groG is kept, and
the crew are afraid they will have to go
withou. their daily rations." With "a
smile the queen rose and gave access to
the treasure house on condition that she
Was given a glass of liquor, which she
spproved and incidentally expressed her
sympathy with the practice of allowing
the members of the crew daily ration
OF liquor
II may, therefore. be said by some that
Victoria the Good would not have sup
,,orted Secretary Daniels, yet her infiu-
,nce was always exerted in the cause OF
temperance. In the long course OF her
reign of sixty-three years she saw the
hard drinking which prevailed in the .tos
and '40s in every class OF the community
go entirely out Of fashion, and the eX-
p-esston drunk as a lord substituted
hy the modern drunk az piper. lhere
& A big social gap between the lord ana
the piper, and quite as big is the gap pc
tween the drinking OF the thirsty ~