Fort Leavenworth News from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas • 1

VOL. VIL FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS, APRIL 21, 9U No. ARMY CANTEENS DID GOOD THE AMERICAN RED CROSS. Their Abolition Was a Mistake, Says General Mills. The American Red Cross announces, in connection with, the International Conference of the RecE Cross which will be held at Wash- ington, I).

in May 1912, that the r.alvpstnn. Ann 1. In an interview Gen. Albert L. Mills, in command of the troops at Fort Crockett, declares the abolishment of "he second example was the canteen, or post exchange, at Fort Grant, Ariz.

When the regiment with which I was connected went there in 1X92 there was but a pretense fa canteen in existence. A good one was at once established, where the soldiers had rational reasonable amusements and accommodations. "Just outside of the military reservation, about two miles from the post, were seven low dives which the soldiers very properly called 'hog where whiskey and other liquors were sold to the accompaniment of vile women. "In less than six months after the establishment of the post canteen under proper regulations every one of these resorts pulled up stakes and disappeared. In other words, the soldiers would not go to them, as they the army canteen by which it wa hoped to prohibit the use of liquor Iv soldiers, was wrong.

Marie Feodorovna prizes will be awarded. These prizes, as may represent the interest on a fund of 100,00 rubles which the Dowager Empress of Russia established some ten years ago for the purpose of diminishing the sufferings of sick and! wound in war. Prizes are awarded at intervals of five years, and this is the second occasion of this character. These prizes in 1912 will be as follows: "hp bo btion of the armv canteen was a great mistake," he says. the great mapority of good women members of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and other similar organizations were really informed as to the true character of the can At .1 maneuvers on the Mexican border.

General Wood said that it was not definitely known just when the troops would be withdrawn from the maneuver camp in exas but that as soon as any general movement of troops was ordered full provisions would be made for re-garrisoning Fort Leavenworth to the maximum capacity of the barracks and quarters there. The Department fully appreciates the great importance of Fort eLaveu-worth as the education center of the army and the section of the post devoted to the Army Service Schools will undoubtedly be in time built up to complett the original plans laid out for the school section. Most of the barracks and quarters construction in recent years at Fort Leavenworth has been in what is known as the school section and residents of Leavenworth who have not paid a visit to the school section of the post (that is that part fthe post near to the west end of the old Missouri River bridge) will be surprised and astonished at the large number of new officers' quarters which have been built up in that part of the post-Congress and the War department have been exceedingly liberal in regard to thep expenditure of public money at Fort Leavenworth in recentt years. While it is true that the expenditures for the items of barracks and quarters have been somewhat larger at one or two other military posts only in the army during the last two years, it is a further fact that the total amount of money which Congress has appropriated for construction work at Fort eLavenworth for teen or post exchange, they would 1 ui 1 Uinta. 2 of 3,000 rubles eacli.

not have sought to abolish it. had a decent and respectable place "It really was an institution which operated in the cause of temperance I imagine that the abuses that took to go inside the military reservation. "This briny covers to some extent my views and experiences with the canteen." place in some of the volunteer regi ments in the Spanish-American War were the cause fthe strong senti ment developed against it. he can 01 1,000 rumes eacii. The subjects decided upon for the competition are: (1) Organization of evacuatfor methods for wound on the battle field1, jfnvohjjng as much economy, in bearers.

(2) Surgeon's portable lavatories" for war. (3) Methods of applying dressings at aid stations and in ambit- teen properly run, that is, under GEN'L WOOD SAYS FT. LEAV-ENWORTH'S FUTURE IS BRIGHT. army regulations, resulted in temper ance and it was the soldier's club, where he could have the use of reading and writing rooms, billiard and pool tables, amusements, lunch coun ter and store. "Beer and light wines were the on Plans to Make Fort Leavenworth Educational Center for Military Instruction Regarrisoned Soon as Maneuvers Are Over.

ly alcoholic beverages dispensed and (4) Wheeled Stretchers. (5) Support for a stretcher on tlm back of a mule. (6) Easily portable 1 every effort aws made to curtail the sale of these by providing nonalco holic beverages. Beer was sold in a room separate and apart from the rest fthe canteen. If a soldier got too much the supply was cut off, as the items of barracks and quarters and for new construction at the other government institutions located at Fort Leavenworth runs into figures showing that the government has ex the canteen was under military supervision and regulations.

"1 can cite two striking examples of the operation of the army canteen. I was exchange or canteen officer at pended over twice as much money for new construction at Fort Leav enworth during the last two years Washington, D. April 17. "In all plans now in contemplation by the War department you can rest assured that the interests of Fort Leavenworth will be nicely taken care of." These were the words with which Major-General Leonard Wood, chief of tSaff of the army, addressed Congressman D. R.

Anthony, at the War department this morning at the conclusion of an interview during which the Kansas Congressman had taken up with the Chief of Staff of the army the general subject of matters in which the people of Leavenworth and Fort Leavenworth would than it has at any other one military the time and talk from absolute post in the country. The figures are knowledge. The first example was at astonishing and show that for new Fort Custer, Mont, he canteen was (7) Transport of wounded betweerr men of war and hospital-vessels, anci the coast. (8) The best method of heating railroad cars by a system independent of steam from the locomotive. (9) The best model of a portable Roentgen-ray apparatus, permitting utilization of Xrays on the battle field and at the first aid It rests with the jury of award' hos' the prices will be allotted in respect to the various subjects.

That is to say, the largest prize will be awarded for the best solution of any question irrespective of what the question iruy be. Further information may be ob construction alone Congress has ap propriated and the government has expended at Fort Leavenworth for baracks and quarters and in conec- tion with the construction of the military and federal prisons nearly opened when the old traders system was abolished. A careful record of its operation was made for years. These records show that the number of trials of soldiers for breaches of discipline resulting diircctly from overindulgence in intoxicating liquors was diminished 70 per cent. "It was an ideal place to test the operation of a canteen because the fort was located i nthe center of a large Indian reservation and the nearest town was thirty-five miles distant.

The canteen was located in a building fitted up as a soldiers' club and the room where the beer was sold was entirely separated from the rest of the building. a milion dollars a year. General Wood has expressed his intention of coming out to Fort Leavenworth this summer if posible about the time of the graduation of this year's class at the Army Service Schools. tained by addressing the Chairman- be interested. "It is safe to say that Fort Leavenworth will continue tq become a more and more important post and the Department has plans in contemplation which will mean that Fort Leavenworth will continue to increase in size and importance," continued General Wood.

Mr. Anthony took up with the War Exhibit Committee, American Red Cross, Washington, D. C. Very respectfully, 1 JCHACEY LYCE, Major, Med. Corps, U.

S. Arui department the question of re-gar Send the News home to the folks while you're in the Islands. All the same as a weekly letter from borne. risoning Fort Leavenworth to its full capacity at the conclusion of the Chairman, Exhibit Committee..