Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1914)
"fVf. V '. The Commoner VOL. 14, NQ. 4 SI ' Henry, St. Cini?t Cedar, Dado, -Lawronco and Barry; all that part of Illinois not included in District No. 7; all that part of Indiana not in dludod in District No. 7; all that part of Ken tucky not included in District No. 4; all that part of Tonncsseo not included in District No. 0; and all that part of Mississippi not included in District No. 0 with the city of St. Louis, Missouri, as the location of the federal reserve bank. This district contains 4 34 national banks, with a total capital stock of $0,219,323. District No. 9. The states of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, all that part of Wisconsin not included in District No. 7; and nil that part of Michigan not included in District No. 7, with the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, as tho location of tho federal reserve bank. This district contains 087 national banks, with a total capital stock of $4,702,8G4. District No. 10. The states of Kansas, Ne braska, Colorado and Wyoming, all that part of Missouri not included in District No. 8; all that part of Oklahoma north of a line forming tho southorn boundary of tho following counties: Ellis, Dowoy, Blaine, Canadian, Cloveland, Potta watomie, Seminole, Okfuskeo, Mcintosh, Musko goo and Sequoyah; and all that part of New Moxlco north of a lino forming the southern boundary of tho following counties: McKinloy, Sandoval, Santa Fo, Sun Miguel and Union, with tho city of Kansas City, Missouri, as tho location of tho federal reserve bank. This district con tains 835 national banks, with a total capital stock of $5,594,010. District No. 11. Tho state of Texas, all that part of Now Mexico not included in District No. 10; all that part of Oklahoma not included in District No. 10; all that part of Louisiana not included in District No. G, and the following countios in tho state of Arizona: Pima, Graham, Greenlee, Cochise, and Santa Cruz, with the city of Dallas Texas, as tho location of tho federal reserve bank. This district contains 720 na tional banks, with a total capital stock of $5,034,091. District No. 12. Tho states of California, Washington, j pregon, Idaho, Novada and Utah, and all that part of Arizona not included in Dis trict No. 11, with the city of San Francisco, Cali fornia', ris tho location of tho federal reserve bank. This district contains 514 national banks, with a total capital stock of $8,115,524. Tho committee was impressod with tho growth and development of the state of Idaho, Washing ton and Orotron, but on the basis of six per cent of the capital stock and surplus of national banks and stato banks .and trust companies which have applied for membership, that sec tion could not provide tho $4,000,000 minimum capital stock required by tho law. With the continued growth of that region, it is reasonable to expect that in a few years tho capital and surplus of Its member ban: s will bo sufficient to justify the creation of an additional federal re serve district, at which time application may be made to tho congress for a grant of tho necessary authority. It is no part of tho duty of tho organization committee to locate branches of tho federal re serve banks. Tho law specifically provides that "each federal reserve bank shall establish branch banks within the federal reserve district In which it is located." A'1 tho material collect ed by tho committee will be placed at tho dis posal of the federal reserve banks and the fed oral reserve board when they are organized and ready to consider tho establishment of branch banks. NAVV DEPARTMENT WINE MESS ABOLISHED Secretary Daniels has issued an order abolish ing tho wine mess on board all ships and sta tions in the United States navy. vThe order puts into effect tho same rule with reference to in toxicants in the navy which the laws of congress have imposed in the army. The secretary issued this order upon the recommendation of tho surgeon general of the navy. The order which goes into effect on tho first of July, is in these words: "The uso or introduction for drinking pur poses of alcoholic liquors on board any naval vessel, or within any navy yard or station is strictly prohibited, and commanding officers will be held directly responsible for the enforcement of this order." The above order is substituted by the secretary for section 827, naval instructions, which it annuls. c In his letter to the secretary, the surgeon gen eral, who camo to his present high position di rectly from detail on sea-duty as surgeon of the Atlantic fleot, and from his long experience 1 a had the best opportunity for judging of the wine mess, gives convincing reasons why the iu-le ot excluding intoxicants, which has long prevailed as to the enlisted men, should be extended also to tho officers. Commenting upon the recom mendation of the surgeon general for ending tne wine mess, Secretary Daniels said: "I am in hearty agreement with the views ex pressed by the surgeon general in his paper ac companying tho recommendation. There should not bo on ship-board, with reference to intoxi cants, one rule for officers and another and a different rule for the enlisted personnel. The saddest hour in my official life is when an officer or enlisted man must be punished for intoxica cation. During the past week it has been my painful duty to approve a courtmartial for dis missal from the service of an officer for intoxi cation. He told me that he had never tasted in- . toxicating drink until he did so in the wine mess on his cruises. Others, who have been disci plined for drinking to excess, have made similar statements to me. Officers are now commis sioned at the early ago of twenty-two years. Han tho government a right to permit this temptation which too often destroys the highest usefulness 'of young officers? I think not. If there is one profession more than any other that calls for a clear head and a' steady hand it is the naval profession. Experience has shown the wisdom of having no intoxicants on our ships for the young men who enlist. I believe experience has demonstrated that a uniform rule should prevail in the navy for all who enlist in the serv ice, from the highest rank to the youngest en listed man or officer who comes into the service, and that the abolition of the wine mess will be justified." SURGEON GENERAL'S RECOMMENDATION "In accordance with your request, based, in part, upon a perusal of the enclosed copy of an article by Colonel L. M. Maus, medical corps, U. S. navy, on "Alcohol and Racial Degeneracy," 1 present herewith certain information relative to tho alcohol problem for it is still a problem in tho navy: "Tho use of alcoholic stimulants in our serv ice was inherited, with many outgrown customs, at the very birth of the American navy, and was, until comparatively recent years, recognized officially to the extent of issuing a daily allow ance of spirits on shipboard. An appreciation of tho evils, directly and indirectly attendant upon tho use of intoxicants, even in moderate degree, has, however, grown steadily in strength within tho service itself, fostered, no doubt, by an awakening of the public sentiment distinctly unfavorable to intemperance. This is shown by a progressive diminution in the number of ad missions to the sick list for alcoholism, and by the enactment of legislation tending to restrict the use of intoxicating liquors by all persons in the naval and military services of the United States. "Tho 'Articles for the Government of the Navy,' which are based on law, state (Art. 13) that 'distilled spirits shall be admitted on board vessels of war only upon the order and under the control of the medical officers of such vessels, and to bo used only for medicinal purposes.' As further showing of the trend of legislation, the following extract is quoted from section 38 of the 'Act to Increase the Efficiency of the Permanent- Military Establishment,' approved Febru ary 2, 1901: 'The sale of, or dealing in, beer, wine or any intoxicating liquors by any person in any post exchange or canteen or army trans port or upon any premises used for military pur poses by the United States, is hereby prohibited." From the above it must be clear that con gress has plainly set the stamp of disapproval upon the use of intoxicants by persons in the naval and military services. It is therefore of interest to inquire how far the navy department through official orders and regulations, has par ticipated in this movement in the way of reform Reference to article 827, naval instructions", 1913, seems particularly informing, and atten tion is invited to Par. (1), which reads as fol lows: " 'Wardroom officers may form a wine mess of which all commissioned and warrant officers attached to the ship may become members, unon the payment of mess entrance fee; but no officer shall be required to become a member thereof Suitable locker room for wine-mess stores sh-ili be provided when fitting a ship for sea.' "No doubt this paragraph conforms to the letter of the laws, but it may be an open ques tion as to how far it fulfills these laws in spirit As matters stand today an enlisted man is, very properly, subjected to severe disciplinary meas ures if wine or beer be found in his possession on shipboard, yet the same man is constantly aware of the free use of alcoholic liquors on board ship which is- officially permitted to offi cers, and the too frequent derelictions which occur among them in consequence. The prohibi tion of alcohol to the men has rendered alcohol ism among them almost a negligible quantity. Surely the officers should be in all respects models for the enlisted men in duty, habits and deportment, and tho example of officers drinking aboard ship, as fostered by the wine mess, and tho numerous courts martial of officers for drunkenness and the effects of alcohol, aro de structive of disciplino and morale, bad for tho enlisted men, and detrimental to tho reputation and good name of the service: The navy is com parable in many respects to a great business organization, but no efficient cqrporation in civil life would tolerato such a condition of affairs. "The restrictive measures which are now en forced, so far as they go, accord with legislative action, are supported by public, opinion and a steadily increasing service sentiment, and are based on sound moral, and physiological prin ciples: Why, then, are they effective for a part of the personnel only, instead of applying with equal force to the whole? It is difficult to find a satisfactory answer, especially in view of the youth of some of our officers, who may now be commissioned at twenty-two years of age, and the proposed reduction of the minimum to twenty. To assume that even the moderate use of alcohol will better equip them physically for forty years of active service, or mentally, to meet responsibilities, of the gravest import, or intellectually, to solve problems which may in volve our national existence, or morally, to rep resent this country at home or abroad, is against all reason. It may be stated as a fact, that, except as a temporary expedient in certain cases of illness, the use of alcohol is harmful, and its abuse disastrous, alike to the individual and to the human race. Its use in the service is based only upon outworn customs, and there is no authority, by law or otherwise, for its continu ance, except as contained in the naval instruc tions. "You have asked my opinion on this matter and I have expressed it frankly, uninfluenced by prejudice or traditions of the past. In view of the foregoing, I find it my plain duty to make the following recommendations: " 'I. That a general order be issued, in sub stance as follows: "On and after July 1, 1914, the use or introduction, for drinking purposes, of alcoholic liquors on board any naval vessel, or within any navy yard or station, is strictly prohibited, and commanding officers will be held directly responsible for the enforcement of this order.' " 'II. That article 827, naval instructions, 1913, be revoked or modified is accordance with the general order specified above.' "It is probable that upon certain special. occa sions international courtesy might render it ad visable to temporarily modify such a regulation: this could readily be done by departmental order. At the same time, efforts might be made to obtain an appropriation for the entertainment of our foreign guests in a manner which would avoid the possible appearance of. criticising their own customs and regulations." MONEY SAVED IN NAVY DEPARTMENT In his recent hearings before the house naval affairs committee Secretary Daniels showed that the money saved to the government in the navy department since March 4, 1913, approximated $2,000,000. The figures he gave were based on the difference between prices paid for certain materials this year as compared with previous prices for the same materials, the saving having been effected by securing real competition from firms not connected with the so-called iron and steel combination. In some cases these new firms have been the successful bidders and in others the knowledge that they were competing have o) All progressive democratic congress men who nro candidates for re-election, and who believe that The Commoner can bo of assistance in their respective dis tricts, are asked to write at once to their committeemen, urging them to communi cate immediately with The Commoner relative to its plans for an aggressive congressional campnign. This is important. . , 3, ,