The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-03-25
DOMAIN OF TEMPERANCE
MILITIA MEN ON LIQUOR
DRINKING.

BY command of Major General
ORyan, of the National Guard OF
New York State, an official bulletin
was recently issued giving the results
OF the prohibition of the use of liquor
on two recent occasions in military
service, stating facts concerning the
relation of alcohol to health and urg-
ing officers to lead by precept and
example in the encouragement of So
briefly. The bulletin from which the
following paragraphs are extracts was
ordered to be posted for ninety days
after its receipt on regimental and
company bulletin boards.
In the summer of 1913 the use OF
! liquor in any form was prohibited at
the Infantry School of Application at
Peekskill, and all student officers, as
| well as instructors, put on honor not
to use liquor on or off the post during
the school period. So beneficial to the
individuals concerned and to the work
of the school were the results attend
ing this departure from former Gus
tom, and SO marked was the .senti-
affected, that a similar regulation was
prescribed and followed at the Schools
of Application for the other arms of
the service, established by various d.
| vision orders since that time.
During the recent field exercises at
Fiskill Plains, N. Y, the use of liquor
was prohibited by division order at
| Sci0 w.t. nd in, H.,
| ganization directly attached thereto.
namely, the cavalry, field artillery, en-
| gineer, signal and sanitary organiza-
tiOns. In the infantry tie subject sub
ject was regulated by regih}ental COM
manders. In several of the infantry
regiments the prohibition referred to
was prescribed and enforced.
So unanimous and strong has the
sentiment against the use of liquor}in
camp developed among the organiza-
tions affected by the prohibition, that
the subject is believed to be of suffi-
Gent Importance, to publish for the
information of the division some con-
| Sideration in support Of a continuation
and extension of the present policy
in respect to the use of liquor by
| soldiers.
| The decision to prohibit the use of
liquor, made in the first instance at
the Infantry School of Application in
| 1913, was not based Oh Il fear that
| there might be eXcesSeS, nor was the
action intended as a movement III SUP
| port Of the moral aspect OF the nOn-
use of liquor. But it was known that
the course of instruction was such
that the student officers would re-
quire the application of their physical
and mental powers unimpaired by dis
tracing cOnviviality, late hours, di-
| geStive disorders and superstimulI-
ton. 1t was further realized that the
| prohibition would furnish opportunity
for practical and substantial develop
| ment of military morals i'll that it
would require a subordination of ami
| NAL desire to the power of the will.
Discipline being the most important
factor in the attainment of military
efficiency, and discipline being the re-
suit of moral as well as physical train
ing the rule against the use OF liquor
| furnished an opportunity to test as
well as advance the standard of dis
| cipline of the officers at the school
| That our officers at this and SubSc~
| quent schools met this test i'll man
ner leaving nothing to be desired, and
that the sentiment among them is
strong in support of continued pro-
hibition during the periods of field
| service, is most satisfactory.
In addition to the educational and
disciplinary advantages accruing to
the military service from nOn-use of
| liquor by it's personnel, there results
a benefit to the individual which is
now authOritatively recognized, and
concerning which officers of the limo
charged with the physical welfare OF
the men entrusted to them should
have accurate knowledge.
The state military service now OK
acts from its soldiers high standard
of discipline and vast amount of
arduous training involving in most
cases great personal sacrifices. Their
interest demands there should be
some substantial recognition by the
state of their sacrifice and service, but
| while awaiting SUCH legislative IeCO5-
milton, there is much that can be
done of permanent and immeasureable
value to the future of our young men,
| by raising the standard of moral,
| physical and mental training applied
to them. No greater opportunity i'll
this regard exists at the present time
than for the officers Of the division,
by precept and example, to inculcate
in the minds Of their men an intelli-
gent knowledge of the subject of this
bulletin, looking to their own self in
terest, and to spread among them IL
high conception of the underlying
principle of military seryice-sclf,de-
NAL. -snc,ed Hsayt Repfpu