The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-05-14
MODERN WAR AND PROHIBI-
TON.
(By Major General William Hard
;,r Nor<or IT g Az

ing Carter, U. s. Az
With the declaration Of War with
Germany, and the enactment OF the
,elective draft law, we have assum-
ID obligations whose ultimate ends
10 man can foresee. Primarily we
nave now become responsible for
the preparation of hundreds OF
thousands Of young men for the
stern duties and hardships of war,
and. in the natural order of things,
thew will constitute the human ele-
ments available for the nations
defense for many years to come.
The nation owes it to the young men
who are selected for military train
ing and service that, from the very
first they shall know that the train
ing will be carried on under circum-
stances above reproach.
The development Of mind and
bodies to meet the demands Of milf
tary service in war requires not only
the most modern hygienic surround
ings but the absence of every form
of personal dissipation. Any one
who sells or gives intoxicants or
drugs Of any kind to young men
undergoing training for the nations
defense, not only commits a crime
against the individual but a treason.
able act against the nation.
The experience Of European ma
tons has made it clear that to main
tain a modern army in the fielo
there must be organized industry al
home. Anything that initiates
against this, by depriving the hui
man element of it's energy, working
under war pressure, must be com
batted and if need be destroyed.
The public is far better advised
today than ever before, concerning
the effects Of the habitual use of in
toxicants in producing criminal, in
sane and untrustworthy men ant
women and degenerate children
Prisons, asylums and public reform
atories furnish continuous ant
abundant evidences along thes'
lines. The increasing undiscipline O
Americans has been observed ant
noted by investigators and student
for many years. This is evidenced il
lack Of respect for parents, for tn
aged, for the officers Of the law ant
for the law itself. 1t has also been al
observation that these condition.
! become aggravated whenever AM
wherever intoxicating liquors ar
habitually used. Confronted will
these facts about to undertake tn
creation Of a large army of the PEG
pie, and to prepare it for participa
ton in the most gigantic struggle II
the history Of wars.
When the army was reorganized
in 1901, following the war with
Spain, there was introduced in the
Act, prohibitory legislation regard.
ing the sale of wines and beers upon
military reservation. There was
much resentment on the part of the
army at this discriminatory legisla
ton, for while it introduced prohi
bition on reservation it encouraged
border line saloons in surrounding
territory. The aggravation was grave
in states like Kansas where prohibi
ton was a sham and public dan
ger, the laws being ignored in thu
most open and fragrant manner.
In the course of time following
the abolition Of the sale of beer ant
wines-alcoholic: liquors were pre-
viously barred-on military reser
vations, the naval regulation Danish
ed intoxicating from war vessels
Modern battleships, destroyers ant
submarines had become too compli
Gated to be entrusted in any part t.
minds beclouded with drink. Effici
ency and safety Of operation alik'
demanded the exclusion of liquor
from war vessels and it is certain
that if the wine mess for the perio'
Of the war were put to a vote o