Republican farmer., 1918-04-26
DECLARES ARMY UNIFORM SAVES MANY SLACKERS Rep. Kitchin Against Draft Age Men in Non Com
 batant Forces. WOULD PLACE THOSE UNDER OR OVER AGE Objects to Having Real Sol diers Salute Non-C Com
 batant Officers.

Washington, April 19.---A decIara- tion that no physically fit man within the draft age should be admitted into the ordinary non-combatant branches of the military service if men out slde the draft age can be found equally competent is made in a letter which Representative Claude Kitchin, Democratic leader of the House, has just sent to a western lawyer who wrote to him. MT. Kitchin's core spondent said he was willing to make sacrifice to come to Washington and take an officers commission for duty there but that he had seen an article attributed to MT. Kitchin crit icising as slackers men who, with military commissions, have no idea of doing actual military work
 In view of the various statements on the subject attributed to him, the majority leader of the House decided to make his attitude clear and ex- pressed it in a letter to the lawyer, as follows:
 My chief protest is that young men within the draft age, who never saw military training camp, who never served in the army, with no military experience and with no quail ifcations as a soldier officer, have been, and are being commissioned in non-coInbatant branches of the ser vice. Many such young men, per haps, their number reaches into the thousands, have succeeded, through some kind of influence, in securing
 commissions, from Iieutenancies up, in the Ordnance, Quartermaster's In- telligence, or some other department, for no other purpose than to escape service at the front. The uniform of the American soldier, instead of be- ing an insignia of dare and do for the country, is being desecrated by it's use as a shield and protection to slackers.
 And I further object to the real soldier, officer or private-the man who must face danger for his coun- try-being required on all occasions to deferentialIy salute such non-com- .patant commissioned officers. This tends to destroy the morale of the army, and is an injustice and humilia- ton to the real soldier. I include, of course, as real soldiers, the Engineer corps that goes to the front.
 My position is that no man within thed raft age, and physically fit should be admitted into these non combatant branches of the service, either as a private or commissioned officer, if men under or over the draft age can be found equally competent to perform the duties. In my judg- | ment, such men can be found by the | tens of thousands, ready and willing | to undertake the performance of such i duties
 While I have no serious objection | to civilians over the draft age being | appointed and commissioned to such 1 positions for the purpose of serving | their government, I see no sound req l son, if a civilian actually desires to | devote his time and talents to his | government in such honorable service, | why he should demand or require a | military title and uniform; and cer- tainly, if he is given the title and uni form, he should be perfectly willing | to have a mark known to the public 1 distinguishing him from the real | fighting officers and soldiers. For in- ! stance: If he is appointed an officer m the (luarCermaSIerS s department or Ordnance department, why should he object at having marked plainly on | the sleeve of his coat, respectively, Q. MD. or O.D? The man who really desires to serve his government could not object to this, except on two grounds: 1st, that he is ashamed of the position he holds or the service n which he is engaged, or End, that le desires to deceive the public into he belief that he is a real soldier.
 Being above the draft, if you or other persons under similar circum- stances were appointed, neither I nor thy member of Congress, nc- any one slse, would consider you O. such per son a stacker, but as one doing neces- ;ary and most honorable service for he government.
 Neither my objection, nor that of my other member of Congress nor of ny person. So far as I know, has 'een seriously directed against the lppointment of one under the cir-I (