"Indecent" Literature.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 67, 21 June 1912, Page 2

"Indecent" Literature.

Suppression at Waihi.

ACTION BY THE POLIGE.

(.'has. Smith writes: The following artklo contains the strongest points in a specially-writ lon contribution, entitled MV hat's Wrong with I lie Army?" which 'appeared in tho well-known American magazine, "Physical Cull uro," of which IV'vnarr Macfadden is editor. This magazine is devoted to health, si rougt h. muscular development, and the care ot the body. It is in no way addicted to anti-militarism. This nrlicli', tho author of v.liirb, Louis Puche/., served Urn* , years in Hie army as a cavalryman, was placed in the -.'bop window of Mr. 15- Holers, Waihi, and attracted considerable atIfiitinn. The police, however, forcibly extracted it from the window, contending thai, it was "indecent literature." At time of writing, no further action lias been taken by the police in reference tv the mailer. "What's Wrong with the Army?" Tin; recent reports from the army headquarters in Washington state that during the last five years . r >lloo men doeeried, and that during the last twelve years more than. /HUKIO have taken '■ French leave," only t<■ return when rounded up by the police or military authorities. Many reasons have Wen put forth for this enormous increase in desertions. It lias been especially pu/./.ling in view of the fuel Ihat llio United States regular receives several times nioro in wage.-, than <lo the ICuropc«u Soldiers; that, be volunteers to (•. ut. and is not compi'lle'l to do so, as in fcho case in Kniope; also, that (be military discipline in bis country is not so severe as across tlio Atlantic. The dietary question is one. of the tiuist important questions in the regular army. It is claimed b\ T a largo, percentage of enlisted m< , n Us at many troops and companies have l>ooll broken up. and even desertions directly caused, by the unwholesome, as well as the unpalatable diet. ■■ Quito, often recruits who know little or nothing about, the preparation i of foods are placed in the kitchens, u> t:»ke charge of the feeding of from' 0/5 to 1(10 men. ' When i enlisted in Wheeling, West Virginia, I was sent to .lofforson Harraeks. Missouri. When we left Wheeling, we were, given ,1 largo bundle of sandwiches and some coffee amounting to some H cents, for each' man for the trip of 800 miles These 14 cents were intended k> purchase our coffee along the way. My lirst introduction to (be army ■\viis anything but rosy—and the food I Black coffee, dry bread, potatoes heaped upon the tables with their jackets 011, "slumgullion" (which is a sort of gravy made in large tanks from flour, water, lard and plenty of pepper) dried apples or cheap pi lines stewed — tWt was our diet. Occasionally we wwild get a few scraps of bacon or a hunk of beef, which tasted like wellsea soiled leather. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are. epent yearly on making the army posts more attractive. Schools, libraries, and gymnasiums are furnished in an effort to make them contented. But discontent and desertion and disease stalk rampant in every army post. On the, whole, the foods are very poorly cooked. Enormous quantities of pepper and spices ar< , used. The meat is generally of the worst kind. The coffee, which is often : 'doped" with saltpetre, is generally enough to make a healthy man sick in itself, Fresh fruits are very seldom placed on the mess tables. Potatoes are about the only vegetables that arc served. The notorious "corned beef" is v< , r,v seldom missing. Butter and milk—it is almost a crime to have them seen in a mess hall. Poorly-cooked cheap boms are served twice a week with pickles. Meat balls and hash, a. scrap mixture, are one of the eyesores of the regular. Cheap dried fruits, stilted moats, fclrong spices and popper, "corned beef' and ''slum cannot but contribute tow:ird undermining the best phv.-ique. Trregnlarily of the bowels, oen.stiirilinn, »lys<»nicry and all sorts of stumaeh troubles are well known and oon::n.>n among Fobliers. A lew weeks ago aii army

report stated that insunity ifl increasing among the enlisted men of the regular army. Hundreds of men go into the. army in the best of health, and aro discharged physical and mental wmiks. Many soldiers, able to stand it no longer, desert in order to get away from a diet that makes them sick and mad with ill-feeling. I linvo known cases where several soldiers wore sent to the guardhouse because) tlioy refused to do duty until a more wbolesomo diet was furnished them. A large petrenhigo of young men who enter th« regular army, before they enlist do not use intoxicants and cigarettes, but Ibi-v are not in the service very long before they acquire those habits. The -(lope fiend" is another product which is ripening rapidly in the regul-ir army. Kmr.e time ago army doctors stated thai i:> some posts a large percentage of sold.ers are taking to cocaine, morphine, etc. .In I'residio, California, it is stated on good authority that more than "JO per cent, of the soldiers are addicted to tlio cocaine and morphine hapil.H, \t is not nti uncommon'thing h> see I*> .;- SO men sitting on the edge of their hunks mi ring rlie middle of the. night or early morniim smoking oboan cigarettes tilled with the strongest, kind of "done." There is no question, 1 believe, tint the regular unny contains a larger 1111111- -- ,f,r l - of «pxiinl degenerates than anywhere oho in. the country. Tt is the largest :ig"H'\y for the spread of venerea! diseiso.-s in America to-d*?. f know positively where hundreds of young girls, less than 10 yen ,r, of age, have !>een filled with filthy so* d>oases because of their association n-iih soldiers. Tn the army to-div Iher" are hundreds of men with syphilis, fiorrm of them have been discharged and g<>t-tf-n rid of, while others are undergii:": treatment in the hospitals. Mm;y i-f them are sleeping in the o.unr!.ors ■,-,!:'; healtliy men, using the sautedisbes ■\'. i ''. others and handling the food that others must eat. To avoid being sent lo the hospital or dishonorably discharged, many of tbf-so soldiers with sex diseases are attempting to cure themselves. They ur.<- all sorts; of dangerous and detriri-.ta! drugs, mercury, arsenic, quinine ard such deadly drugs. a r e used in lirgo quantities by men «'fieu tbnv do not know the risks they are taking. Every little while the soldiers ore marched in bodies to b° vaccin:i f ed, hundreds ■<{ them in a few minutes, wi(b the same needles, resulting often ; " severe/ sickness lasting several month.? and even death in some instances.