The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-06
Daniels Issues Order on Recommendation of Sur
 geOn General Braisted
TEETOTALERS WIN
 A GREAT VICTORY
Enlisted Men Not Now Permitted to Have Int0xicants and New Order Affects Officers-Issued for
 "Good of the Service

Washington, April 5.--Abos1ute pro-
 hibition will prevail in the United
 State navy after July I. next Secre-
 tary Daniels tonight made public a | sweeping order, which not only will
 abolish the traditional "wine mess, of
 the officers, but will bar all alcoholic liquors from every ship and shore sta
 tion of the navy. This order. consti- tuting one of the most notable victor les ever won by prohibition forces. was
 issued on the recommendation of Sur geOn General Braisted. It was brief and
 to the point:
 'The use or introduction for drinkin 2
 purposes of alcoholic liquors on board
 any naval vessel or within my navy
 yard or station Is strictly prohibited,
 and commanding officers will be held directly responsible for the enforce
 ment of this order..
 Tn a statement tonight Secretary Daniels
 said:
 "I am in hearty agreement with the views expressed by the surgeon general. l There should not be on shipboard with reference to intoxicants, one rule for of ficers and another and a different rule for the enlisted personnel. The saddest hour in my 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 approve B courtmartial for dismissal from the serv- ice of an officer for intoxcation. He told me that he never had tasted intoxicants until he did so ill the wine mess on the cruise. Others who have been dis ciplned for drinking to excess, have made similar statements to me.
 "Officers now are Commissioned sit the early age of 22 years. Ffas the govern ment right to permit this temptation which too often desroys the highest use fulness of young officers? I think not. If there is one profession more than any other that calls for a clear head and a steady hand, it is the naval profession Experience has shown the wisdom of
 having no intoxicants on our ships for the young men who enlist.
 'I believe experience has demonstrated that a uniform rule should prevail in
 the navy for all who enlist in the serv- ice, from the highest rank to the young est enlisted man or officer who comes into the service and that abolition of the
 wine mess will be justified 1,
 The Former Provision The new order will replace that sec ton of the naval instructions which per-
 mits the formation of wine messes. This provision reads: Ward room of ficers may form a wine mess of which all commissioned and warrant officers
 attached to the ship may become mem bers on the payment Of mess entrance fees. but no officer shall be required to become a member thereof. Suitable locker room for wine mess stores shall be pro- vided when fitting a ship for sea. While admitting that the old regulation conforms to the letter of the laws Sur geon General Braisted in his les.er to Secretary Daniels declared it may be an open question how far it fulfils those laws in spirit He explained that the use of alcoholic stimulants was innerit- ed with many out-worn customs at the very birth. of the American navy" And reviewing Legislation on the subject. he observed: It must be clear that Congress has plainly set the stamp of diShpproval on lnt use pI lntoNlcintS DA ptTsbnS III the naval and military services "As matters stand today wrote the surgeon general, "an enlisted mai is rery properly subjected to severe dis
 ciplinary measures if wine or beer be found in his possession ship board, yet the same man is constantly aware of the free use of alcoholic liquors on board ship. which is officially permitted to officers and the too frequent derelc- tions which occur among them in conse- quence. The prohibition of alcohol to the men has rendered alcoholism among
 them almost negligible quantity. Surely the officers in all respects should be models for the enlisted men in duty. habits and department, and the example of officers drinking aboard ship, as fostered by the wine mess and the | numerous courtmartial of officers for drunkenness and the effects of alcohol are destructive of discipline anV morale, bad for the enlisted men and detrimental l to the reputation and good name of the service. The navy is comparable in many | respects to great business organiza- ton, but no efficient corporation in civil l life would tolerate such a condition of 1 affairs
 Declaring that restrictive measures al- ready enforced meet with public approval and are based on sound physiological | principles, the surgeon general asked the question:
 Why. then. are they effective for Il part
 of the personnel only, instead of apply 1 ing with equal force to the whole?". l "It is difficult,'' he continued, ito find a satisfactory answer. especially in view of the youth of some of ours officers, who may now be commissioned at g years | -------------