New-York tribune., 1918-09-20
Crooks Who Would
Be Heroes
TO the Editor of The Tribune.

(NIR: In q recent editorial IN "lFe
World" entitled mo Use for the Con-
vict in War;" there is quoted certain
army officer to the effect that "the national
army is composed of the best Of the nation
and is not refuge for criminals"
This is a good example Of the way the
average mind ceases to function when it
meets the word "crminal."
If common sense were used in the matter
we should at once the absurdity of TAX
ing our "best" out Of their honest employ
ments and sending them across the seas to
danger and death while we carefully keep
at home the burglar and the pckpocket.
These latter in our wisdom, reject from
the army and place in Class s as morally
unfit"
Consider for one moment Morally unfit
to fight the Huns
"The national army is composed of the
best of the nation" That Is obviously not
true The national army is composed of all
men fit to bear arms and fight-good, bad
and Indifferent Our national army is
the nation itself engaged in the serious task
of saving the basic principles upon which
our nation exists; it is not a gcntlcman's
club composed of the socially select, exclud-
ing such persons not agreeable to its
members.
BY keeping out of the army men who have
served time in prison shut out many who
would make the very best soldiers; bold, ac-
tive and accustomed to discipline. AS for
patriotism, you will find more loyal
Americans than the crooks. Why not? One
man can love the country in which he
burgles much as another who banks.
There is no reason why the pickpocket
should not feel as keenly the blessings of
free country as the plumber or the lawyer.
erich man, poor man, beggar man, thief
we are all in the same boat, and it is our
common country that is concerned.
AS a matter of fact, there have always
been thousands of ex-prisoners in our army,
and there more than I get
letters almost daily from one or another.
The latest one says: II have passed all ex-
aminations here and am now full-hedged
soldier. You can't imagine how many of
your friends or boys are here, and, like my
self, as no questions we're asked of our past,
we got through and some day the people
outside will know how we did our bit when
could very easily manage to be rejected.
1t is great to be in uniform; and although
| am just private I know l will always do
my bit and carry out any orders cheerfuly
that are given me, as I realize only too we'll
that must walk the chalklnc more than
any one who has not been in STIR
Another writes: eve expect to go over in
October Well, as for me, we cannot go
across too soon. I have rap to square in
-, so I going to try and make rec
ord in case l do come back. But I don't
think will come back alive. If get killed
it will be the best thing l ever did in my
life, and it will go to square some of the
bad things I did"
Is not this stuff of which good soldiers can
be made?
Our present policy lets some of the crooks
get into the army, but they can only do so
by deceit and conceament Of the truth; we
encourage hypocrisy and falsehood. How
much better to have an ex-convict contingent
where these men could look after and help
each other. By putting them in a separate
division there would be given them the
highest stimulus to make good" for each
man would be working not only for his own
rehabilitation but also for great cause
the cause of the prisoner the world over.
Thus both sides would gain: the country
would gain large number of soldiers who
would prove themselves among the best
fighters in the war; and the prisoners would
gain the opportunity to prove that the prob
lens Of crime can be soved--if they are
approached in the right spirit.
May call attention in passing to the
fact that this prison has contributed to the
navy within the last year over 900 men
now doing useful duty, who, except for Sec
retary Daniels's enlightened policy, would
have been thrown out from the service with
dishonorable discharge The same policy
should open up the ranks of the national
army and make it not "a refuge for crmi-
nails but service where even the criminal
may have chance to do his duty to his
country in it's hour of need
THOMAS MOTT OSBORNE,
Lieutenant Commander, U. S. ~ R. F.
United States Naval Prison, Portsmouth,
N. H., Sept. II, 1918