Valdez daily prospector., 1917-05-05
SENATOR CHAMBERLAIN
 INTRODUCES MEASURE
Instantly Arouses Intense Opposition Both In the Army and Out-Believ- ed Measure Will Be Promptly Voted Down.
Voted Down.

as Tn the regular army. There are signs that in some of the states the na i tional guardsmen may go so far in their hostility to it as to perpetuate round robins.'
 The bill in question was introduced by Senator Chamberlain of Oregon, chairman of the senate committee on military affairs. It prohibits the sale or use of tobacco in army camps. The prominence of Senator Chamberlain in military matters and his great in- f,uence ove- army legislation have caused the bill to be treated very se- riously. Senator Ollie James of the tobacco producing state of Kentucky is leading the opposition to the bill l in the senate and has made known his intention to fight it to the last ditch. National guard officers are de- nouncing the measure as unpatriotic and are declaring it will result in wholesale assertions and absences without leave and will practically kill enlistments Tine District of Colum- bia national guard. being nearest to the seat of government and in closest touch with legislation is the first to plan round robin" of protest to be signed by every officer and man of the i District guard. This is to be sent to 1 the capitol. In addition Col. Glendie E. Young of the District guard has just given out a tabasco-like state ment in which he says:
 It is outrageous. If such d law iT passed it will knock recruiting into a cooked hat. 4 user of tobacco who up the habit is not going to join the army if he knows that by so doing he will have to quit smoking. To put it more plainly if we tell civilian who likes to smoke or chew he can't de either it is a dead certainty he will keep as far away from an army camp as he can conveniently get.
 But that is only one feature of the thing As I understand it. the bill specifically prohibits the use or sale of tobacco in the army camps. There are lot of men-a majOrity-al- ready in the army who are confirmed addicts of the tobacco habit. To force them to abandon the habit suddenly will wreck their nerovus systems.
 But if the law is passed it will have to be enforced as far as possible. Therefore. the men won't stay ill furloughs, probably. but if they don't get them they will go anyway.
 "The result will be that the court martial judges will be working over time continually and re-enlistments will be about as numerous as German sympathizers in the war department.
 Nobody denies that excessive use of tobacco is harmful or that total abstinence tends toward greater eff ciency, both mental and physical. es- pecially the latter. But why pick out the army as the goat for the begin ming of this wonderful reform? If they want to abolish the use Of to- hacco we'll and good. but let them be- gin with civilians. I will certainly sign any protest against such law as it is absolutely unfair to the sol dier. 1t is plain case of discrimina- tion."
 Capt. Thomas E. Fawcett of the 3d infantry. District national guard, also IS out m a statement which sizzles. "It looks," he says, Hike some of the people over at the capitol consider us bad boys who must be watched and scolded and disciplined every minute. Next thing they'll be abolishing drill and substituting daily church service instead"
 Senator James is gathering togeth- CT information to be used in fighting the bill A considerable part of this information will be presentation of the rules and regulations of other governments with reference to the use of tobacco in their armies. He will show that the great powers now warning in Europe not only do not ban tobacco from their armies but deal out the weed in the form of rations to their soldiers. It will be shown that cigarettes are regarded almost or a footing with medicine and surgery in the care given to wounded men.
 Opposition to the Chamberlain anti tobacco bill is becoming intense, both in the army and out of it. and it is considered doubtful whether, nOtwitt- | standing it's influential promoter. it gets very far in the law making body.