CANTEENS AT MILITARY CAMPS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12388, 8 December 1909, Page 4

CANTEENS AT MILITARY CAMPS.

We are heartily in accord with the protests which have been entered by churches and , temperance societies throughout the Dominion against, the provision made by the Defence Bill for the introduction of alcoholic liquor into the military camps. We have alv. ays regarded the canteen, in so far as it exists for the supply oi liquor, as an objectionable and unnecessary feature of our volunteer camps. Bat we hold that it would be much more objectionable and entirely unjustifiable, in the case of camps conducted under the cr;mpi.ilsnry principle which constitutes •the basis of the Defence Bill. The "Chronicle" was one of the earliest, as itvhas been one of the most persistent advocates of the principle of compulsory military "training,' and we naturally hailed vith pleasure the Government's conversion to that principle. But the Prime Minister1 could not have included a provison more calculated to destroy the popularity with which the proposed new defence system, has been received, than that which, seeks to. give legislative recognition. and authority to the canteen. Only those who have not had experience o.f camp canteens will talk about the wisdom of allowing liquor to 1)0 sold within the linos under "regulations.' A very large proportion of those who will ha compelled .by law to attend the camps will be young,fellows under* twenty years of age,. ; It will, of course, be. duly provided that no intoxicants may be sold to these .youths: What will the regulations be. worth ? Even if it were rigorously observed by those" ih» :ch{arge ':©fc the- ''■ canteen, the young fellows..would run the risk of being tempted by their older comrades'. Our men are to go into camp to be trained as efficient defenders. Alcoholic liquor cannot possibly facilitate ; that' training. The chances are that it would have quits the opposite effect. Wisdom, commonsense, experience, fbi-tified by the advice of the greatest soldier of his' day, call for the absolute prohibition of the sale of liquor in bur training camps.