The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-04-14

London Standard: st. Petersburg,
April 13.--Close on the heels OF the
recent rescript of the czar to the new
minister of finance, urging the neces-
sity Of so directing the administration
Of the state monopoly of spirits as to
save the country from drunkenness,
comes the imperial order a~bolishing
the time-honored custom of army
commanders to raise a cup" to the
health Of the car and the Imperial
family in front OF the troops at the
conclusion of paradcs and maneuvers.
This new proof of the cars earnest
ness in the matter Of temperance has
not come a moment too soon, for If the
ravages caused by the drink habits
among the masses Of the Russian peo-
pie are frightful enough, they are
doubly dangerous in the ase Of the
army. on which the very safety OF the
empire depends.
The physique of the Russian youth
from which the army Is recruited is
none too good. In a large number of
enthusiastically in Siberia-the
percentage of reflections reaches as
much as 70, and the general recruit
ing standard is lower than in Austria,
France and Germany. AS General
Rodiger, the former minister Of war,
OUC6 SIdlEu, ttto dNSPSASAL y LOG ~
the Austrian standard would result in
a loss of over II per cent Of the army.
A physique so unsatisfactory as this is
incapable of resisting the influence Of
any considerable quantity OF alcohol,
and what this means in the case of
an army has been recently shown by
experiments in Sweden.
Death to Discipline.
It has been proved by them that the
absorption of but half a litre (less
than one pint). Of beer half an hour
before shooting reduces the marks
m%anship by nearly 40 per cent, and
that the effect of a daily consumption
of but one bottle Of beer for a period
Of twelve days continues for q whole
week after. Yet, according to the IN
vestigations Of DR.. Ivanoff, in one
particular recruiting locality only SO
young men out of a total or 500 turn
ed out to the teetotalers, while DR..
Shapiroff has found anong the speci-
ally selected corps Of the frontier
guards only rs per cent not addicted
to drink. ...
But alcohol hampers the Russian
army in vet another and perhaps still
more important respect. The Russky
Invalid. which is the official organ OF
the ministry of war, has recently
Drawn attention to this aspect in a
series of alarming articles. 1t Is the
effect of the drink habits on mobiliza-
ton. Each time, it pointed out, the
reserves are called out for their per-
iodical training the authorities nave
no end of trouble with the drunkards.
The men come to their training GEN.
ters not merely dead drunk, but also
provided with large quantities OK
vodka in bottles, which they then en-
deavor to srnuggle into the barracks.
Last wear this Is what took place in
Moscow.
"The drunken cohorts stream into
tho gates and two powerful. soldiers
search every. reservist. The astounded
peasants and WorHumen. see their bot
Ties, with the state, label on tnefnt
seized rom their Kits and hung ON
fine stones in the courtyard. The air
is filed with the sound OF broken
glass. A reservist without a bottle or
Vodka is quite a rare phenomenon.
one Individual, without a shirt on his
body and clad in rags, brought with
him a.Whole, basket containing eleven
BOTTLES. Eleven times the glass rams
against the pebbles, and each time the
drunkard dropped tears. = Tne
heap of broken glass grows larger and
larger, and a stream collects under
meath. Several regervists throw them
selves upon their knees and approach
their lips to the drunken stream
They are only kicked away by the
feet OF the receiving soldiers. = =
Finally three large carts filled with
broken glass leave the courtyard"
Scenes in Barracks.
Can anything be more sinister thar
this spectacle? The same journal
continues It's narrowing description as
follows: Elm the barracks, and subse-
! auently in the train which carries the
| reservists TO the camp, one 81 wit
ness almost a drama: the sober fghi
| with the drunken, one against a hun
bred. The commandment OF the station
fs simply in despair. He had had
] 800 men sent to him without o con-