The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-02-23

'Stttd4 tfalSttd, N4gQ Na4Ga tHs n he
mess order was issued. gives an argu-
ment for temperance waich - uuaa-
sHerabie and should be- read often.
Id lis as follows.
In accordance with yoIr request.
based in larJ, upon "a ~Yerusal of the
enclosed cop II an article ~ Colonel
i a. AlaN~. Medical Corps. L. :
Army. ~ .A1cots-l ana Racial De-en-
eFstcy. | present herewith certain in
formation relative Ia the alcohol prob
lem-for il is stul q proh!cm-ia the
navy.
"The IS, If alcoholic scsmulants in
uor service Was inherited. with many
~outIr"Vu customs. ~ IN" Yer. birtG
- t2e American navy. emf VAS. urtl
ccm3ac"I-eE recent years. recognized
officially I" the extent or issuing a
daily allowance " spires on ship
board. An appreciation OF the evils.
directly ana indirectly attendant upon
IN" use ~ lntoNcantS. even in tnoder-
ate degree has. however. grown
steadily il strength uithin the service
itself. fostered, rs doubt, by an awak-
enias Of public sentiment distinctly
u faNorable L. iutemperunce. This il
shCr-u BY q progressive diminution III
the number OF admissions to the sick
list for alcoholism. and by the enact
Inent G legislation tending TO restrict
the use - Intoxicating liquors hy al
persons in the naval and military ser
vices Of he United States.
Tine Articles for the Government
Of the Navy which are based on law.
state Cart. 49, hat distilled spirits
shall b. admitted on board vessels OF
> war only upon the order and under
the control Of The medical officers of
. such vessels, and to be- used only for
! medicinal purpOsfS.' As further show
ing the trend of legislation, the fol-
! lowing extract is quoted from section
: 38 OF the Act to Increase the Efficiency
81 the Permanent Military Establish
Inent, approved February ,. 1901:
The sale Of, OF dealing in. beer, wine
or any Intoxicating liquors by any per-
- son in any post exchange or cantc"u
-. or army transport on upon any prem
= Uses used for military purposes by the
United states. is hereby prohibited
From the above. it must be clear
that Congress has plainly set The
stamp OF ~disapproVal upon the use Of
:, intOXicantS by persons IN the naval
and military services. IT is therefore
Of interest TO inquire how far the
Navy Department, through official or
ders ana regulations, has participated
in this movement in the way Of re-
q form. Reference to Article 821. Naval
Instructions, 1913, seems particularly
= Informing, and attention is invited to
N paragraph |. which reads as follows:
n w ar,irGom officers may form a
Wine mos. OF which all commits
T.. stoned and warrant officers at
l = JstS:6S 10 lt Xxi t10y oS&OAEIN
q members. upon the payment OF
ID mess entrance fee: hut ne officer
f. shall he required to become a
to member thereof. Suitable locker
Ne room for wilderness stores shall
ne be provided when fitting IA ship
er for sea-
r. "No doubt this paragraph conforms
n, to the letter of the laws, but 1t ma.
Of be an open question as TO how lar !
fulflls these laws in spirit. AS mat
ters stand today, an enlisted man Is
m very properly, subjected 10 severe dis
ciplinary measures if wine or beer b
found in his possession on Shlpboard
III vet the same man is constantly tWdr
~ of the free use Of alcoholic liquors o.
board ship which is officially permit
ted to officers and of the too frequen
~ derelictions which occur among thef
:" in consequence. The prohibition @
alcohol to the men has rendered alec
" holism among them almost o negl
, gible quantity. Surely the officer
,'lh should be in all respects models &c
ne the enlisted men in duty, habits an
hs deportment, and the example OF OF
or- GERS drinking abroad ship, as ~fOstere
SIS, by the wine mess, and the numerol
lie courts-martial of officers for drunke
las ness and the effects Of alcohol, are de
en-. structive Of discipline and morale, ba
Ill for the enlisted men, and detr1ment;
to the reputation and good name {
for the service. The navy IS comparab
IN in many respects TO o great buslne'
organization, but no efficient corpora
the ton in civil life would tolerate sue
en- a condition of affairs.
9TH restrictive measures "hl(
not are now enforced, so far as they g
in accord with Legislative action, a
md supported by public opinion M
the steadily increasing service sentmef
our and are based on sound moral al
Ger ply SiolOSlcal principles. why tiit
for are they effective for a part of Il
( If personnel only, instead Of applyil
With equal force TO the whole? 1t
tha difficult to find q satisfactory ansWt
on. eSpetldHS al ~"
some OF our oiiiceiS' II III" ~"
~ commissioned ut twenty-five years
org age. and the proposed reduction
- K the minimum t twenty. To aSsur
;tar that even the moderate use of ale
Lnl viii haftnr pullin them DhXSical