Show THE CANTEEN The temperance people havo boon fighting tho canteen with such vigor that It looks as though it would bo abolished by law unless tho President vetoes the bill It has been against the advice of all the army officers it has been against the advice of army chaplains and Secretary Root thinks it will be much moro difficult to induce men to enlist when the canteen shall have been abolished The impression among the temperance people Is that It is a place where soldiers meet to drink and carouse A Washington correspondent corre-spondent of the New Yorlc Tribune tells Just what it is as follows As conducted according to regulations tho canteen Is at once tho soldlorst 1 club and cooperative store The sale of boor Is only an Incident No spirits in any form aro allowed They are absolutely prohibited by law The canteen gives ho I soldiers a place to gather ooelnlly engage In Innocent gnmcs no gambling being permitted per-mitted read good literature write letters let-ters buy a wholesome luncheon with coffee too chocolate uul all kinds of soft drlnkHi at low cost Tho soldier may also have hltl i glass of beer but to procure It ho nui31 go tea room set apart for that specific purpose It cannot bo sold or drank In any other part of tho promises It is the only place where soldiers can go and spend a quiet evening and when It shall be denied then they will I go where they can buy something more than beer The determination to abolish abol-ish the canteen is simply an exhibition of extreme combined ignorance and fanaticism A great many men who enlist in the army arc not born angels and they cannot be converted into angels by the righteous indignation of people living in comfortable homes inveighing against the only place where they can go decently and spend quiet evenings |