New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-06
Secretary Daniels Issues
Order Abolishing
Wine Mess.
OFFICERS MUST FARE
LIKE ENLISTED MEN
Dinners for Foreigners viii Be
Given at HotelS-Surgeon
General Consulted.
rom IN. Tribune Bureau ,

vos,inrfon. April Rum must go.
=, ,.ct as far as the warships and
s,s,ions Of the United States are
nos,nAd ihe demon will certainly
,.rsnis leave on the first Of July, Tor
-. Secretary Of the Navy signed an
.rdor abolshing the wine messes' on
hoard ships and al stations
petween now ana July !. when the or
Ssr becomes effective. there will be a
.,-uggls aboard some ships to do aWav
18th the large stocks Of wines and
v,,ors which have been laid in to tide
o,,sr long cruises. Wine messeS on
so.~d sb,ps OF the navy stock mp heav-
Nv when visiting foreign ports Wpere
dolec+able things to drink are cheaper
,nsr IN the United States. In conse-
,,orcs there will he lot Of necessary
drinking during the next two months
Af,er thst the juice Of the grape IN It's
urfe,rnented state will he supreme. and
m one will care whether the grape
grew in France or in California.
The order came as complete sur
prIse. Secretary Daniels signed 1t yes
ter6av. but gave It out for publication
in tomorrow mornings papers. The
news. however. swept through WASH
ington rapidly. To-day 1T was the gos-
SIN of the town. and on all sides naval
officers we're severe in their criticism ot
the action. Following the rebuke Of the
Carabao dinner. the establishment Of
schools aboard the ships. which many
officers think are unnecessary and SEN
,imentaL the prohibition against an ON
GER having a drink aboard his ship,
which is his home for years at time,
rankles and creates q feeling that the
navy is becoming a pretty nanny
pemby affair and that officers are he
mg treated as children.
I'm issuing the order Mr. Daniels
also publishes an explanatory state
ment. which reveals two principal rea-
sons for his action. one is that if en-
listed men aboard ships are not per
nited 70 have liquor there is no reason
whv officers should have it. The other
reason Is that Mr.. Daniels has been i'll
formed that certain officers who have
been punished for intoxication learned
to drink in the wine messes. An officer
recently dismissed told Mr.. Daniels
hat ne had never tasted liquor until ne
aid so aboard ship on one OF his
cruises.
Mr.. Daniels bases his order upon
recommendation OF Surgeon General
Brsisted OF the navy. whom he asked
10 make a report on the subject. Or.
Braisted pointed out that liquor was
injurious 10 the human system. He
also outlined. in accordance with the
Secretary's instructions. an order pro-
hibiting the use Of liquor board ships
or AZ yards or stations. Mr.. Daniels
accepted this outline verbatim ana
made il an order. Surgeon General
Brsisted is embarrasse in the matter
as he fears that officers Of the service
Will hold him responsible.
The surgeon general also recon-
uended that there be some modlfica-
ton of the order SO that wines would
ne available for official entertainment,
but Mr.. Daniels ignores this. whereat
there is much dissatisfaction among
officers. When entertainment is done
sboard ships. when officers of other ma
tons pay official visits or when an
American ship entertains the officials
Of p foreign port, or NAV be SOW
sreign. even. the cost OF that enter
tainment comes out OF the pockets Of
rhe officers The government pays
nothing
Even in present circumstances the
cost is great Now. if American Off j.
Continued on fourth page Arst column.