Connecticut western news., 1917-05-10
By MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM
 HARDING CARTER, U. S. A.

With the declaration of war with Germany and the enactment of the se- lective draft law, We have assumed obligations whose ultimate ends no - man can foresee. Primarily We have now become responsible for the prepa- ration. of hundreds of thousands of young men for the stern duties and hardships of war, and in the natural order of things they will constitute the human element available for the na- tons defense for many years to come The nation owes 1t to the young men who are selected for military training and service that from the very first they shall know that the training will be carried on under circumstances above reproach.
 The development of minds and | bodies to meet the demands of mill. 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 in- dividual, but treasonable act against the nation.
 The experience of European nations has made 1t clear that to maintain a modern army in the field there must be organized industry at home Any thing that initiates against this by deprlving the human element of Its normal energy, working under war pressure, must be combated and if need be destroyed.
 lntoxicants Produce Criminals.
 The public is far better advised to- day than ever before concerning the effects of the habitual use of intoxi. cants in producing criminal, insane and untrustworthy men and women and degenerate children. Prisons, asy- lums and public reformatories furnish continuous and abundant evidence along these lines. The increasing un- discipline of Americans has been ob- served and noted by investigators and students for many years. This is evi. denced in lack of respect for parents, for the aged, for the officers of the law and for the law itself. It has also been uniform observation that these con ditlons become aggravated whenever and wherever intoxicating liquors are habitually used. Confronted with these facts, we are about to undertake the creation of a large army of the people and to prepare 1t for participa. ton in the most gigantic struggle In the history of wars.
 l When the army was reorganized in 1901, following the war with Spain, there was introduced fin the act pro hibitory legislation regarding the sale of wines and beers upon military res. ervations. There was much resent ment on the part of the army at this discriminatory legislation, for, while it introduced prohibition on reservations. 1t encouraged border line saloons In surrounding territory.
 Navy Also Bans Liquor.
 In the course of time following the abolition of the sale of beer and wines alcoholic liquors were previously barred-on military reservations the naval regulations banished lntoxicat- ing drinks from war vessels. Modern battleships, destroyers and submarines had become too complicated to be in. | trusted in any part to minds beclouded with drink. Efficiency and safety of operation alike demanded the exclu- sion of liquors from war vessels, and it is certain that if the restoration of the wine mess for the period of the war were put to vote of naval off. cers 1t would be overwhelmingly de- fented.
 Observing the operations of the so called anti-canteen law, which stopped the sale of wine and beer at post ex. changes or canteens, it was found that for time the offcnses involving drunk. enness increased at army posts located in territory where saloons were per. mitted to exist. This was credited to the fact that men went considerable distances from barracks for liquor and, not expecting to repeat the trip soon. indulged in too much for their own good The statistics of disciplinary uc- ton through number of years seemed 10 establish that more than 30 per cent of the cases of desertion and absence without leave were due to drunken ness. Big Victory For TemPcranee. ] While the current returns of the in. ternal revenue bureau of the treasury make it appear that the income from the manufacture of beer and liquors has steadily increased, there can be no question that the temperance and total abstinence campaigns of the past few years have brought about marked change in American life It is no longer fashionable to serve wines and liquors in the lavish way which ob- tained in former years. That temper ance has won n lasting victory is at.