Show ARMY CANTEENS the government official both in department part ment and on military duty are almost unanimously in favor of a return to alie army canteen A report issued from washington yesterday saya the majority of posts have reported that drunkenness and for have increased blut desertion and absence without leave have increased j that the effect of the closing of the canteen upon the morality discipline and health of the trompa has been bad and while many post commanders arc in consequence of frequent changes of garrison and from alic absence of correct data upon which to base comparisons unable to report ni to alie degree of detriment created by the closing of the canteen it can be stated aa an absolute fact that in no single cafek has a post commander expressed an opinion that the effect of alie abolition of the sale of beer in the army has resulted in improved conditions attention is called to the reports from army officers in the philippines and it H said at the war department that while the reports on the subject are too voluminous to bo given to the press they are on file and are at the call of congress if they should be desired with reference to the reports from the philippines a statement has been made public at the war department epitomizing the annual report of brigadier general sangar inspector general of the division of the philippines after narrating the evil effects upon the human system of the native liquors the statement continues to remedy these conditions the post exchange at which light beer waa sold was exercising a wholesome influence and general sanger believes that the exchange should again be made a possibility by removing all restrictions on the sale of beer and light wines to tho fear so often expressed by the opponents of the canteen system that the sale of beer would initiate or induce habits of intemperance general sanger showed from a careful census of the companies of troops in the philippine islands eliat in sixty companies every enlisted man used vinous malt or spirituous liquors at the date of enlistment in companies between 00 and per cent in fifty eight companies between 80 and 00 per cent in twenty six companies between 70 and 80 per cent in twenty companies between 60 and 70 per cent unfortunately quite a number of men habitually drink to excess and as this number will probably increase if the men are obliged aa now to resort to native liquors in order to satisfy what to many of them is a perfectly natural craving the result will be most deplorable general sanger concludes with the remark it is hardly probable in view of this information that congress will continue the prohibition against the canteen when it is evident hat tho sale ot beer would be a precaution against the pernicious habits above stated and their fatal and results |