Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1919-02-21
SOAKED" TROOPS
IN CAMPS IN U. S.
Life Terms Given at Home
for Oifenses Deemed
Light Abroad
OFFICERS THOUGHT
They HAD "HUNCH'

CAMP DIX, Feb. 2i.-Life imprison-
ment. afierward reduced TO thirty years.
and a second sentence OF thirty years
were imposed upon soldiers 10 Camp
Dix for violation Of military regulations
which, when committed overseas,
brought only a ilne less than thirty
days pay.
That disparity was found here by a
comparison Of several OF the findings
Of couris-martlal with-the stories told
by the wounded Pennsylvanians from
both the National Guard and the Ma
tlonal Army who are in the base hos
pital here.
AT the same time, National Guard Of
flcers here said that there was a gem
eral feeling in the camps before The d.
visions went overseas that they were to
soak" the men guilty Of various
breaches Of military regulations ana
discipline.
Had Department Approval.
One OF the dinners. lieutenant OF
The i09th, the old First. OF Philadelphia,
SAID that n seemed 10 be the general
Impression al Camp Hancock. where
the Twenty eighth Division trained, that
this was the attitude which Washing
ton wanted the commanding officers to
take lie said however. that he had
never seen any order to this effect, but
that the feeling was general IN The camp
that The War Department would look
upon this as the right course 10 pur-
sue. The impression seemed to be that
the rlgors OF military discipline were 10
be impressed on the men at the start
and that subsequently the War Depart
ment might mitigate the sentences.
In the case or the life imprisonment
this was imposed several months ago.
one OF the drafted men who had been
transferred refused 10 pack up his be-
longings 10 leave when ordered 10 do
so by a lieutenant. The offender was
summoned before court-martial,
found guilty OF INSTRUMENTATION and
given the life sentence already noted.
However. when the findings were sub
nitied TO Major General Hugh L, Scott
the division commander, he reduced Il
to thirty years.
Another case was that OF a Negro
drafted man who was cited for trial
BY a lieutenant OF his own race on
the same charge The fact as stated by
comrade. was that he refused 10 work
when ordered to do so by the onloer.
The contention OF the soldier as the
circumstances hold u. was that he came
to Camp Dix 10 be a lighting man and
not TO be a day laborer and that he
refused 70 turn his hand 10 the task
aprointfd for him.
sentQfced TO Thirty Years.
VI was sentenced 10 thirty years by
Eou-t-martial and is now serving this
ri prisonment in military prison. Tn
action OF the couri-martial was an
proved and the facts are on record, the
sold 'ers say, in both cases.
The wounded Pennsylvanians say thu
ffere were few cases OF court-martiat
fb~oad IN either the Tweniy-eighth, N
Iron or National Guard Division. or the
SeVenty-ninth or Liberty Division. com |
prised OF the drafted men. However !
two cases a great deal similar to those |
cited above were sent 10 a cOuri-martial /
IN the E'ghtieth or Blue Ridge Divis'onNl
This unit Is comprised Of the drafted
men Of the extreme western part 90 /
PENNSYLVANIA. together with those Of /
Virginia and West Virginia.
One day a soldier rehelled against /
drill when ordered bv his lieutenant /
10 march. He persisted IN this attitude |
one Of Re hmen from Latrobe said. and |
was ordered for court-martial. He was
found guilty and forfeited two-thlrds
OF his months pay.
They were ordered in August at the
time the division was IN training near
Arras with a British division. The RAJ
tions. the men say, were not those
TO which they had, been accustomed;
in fact. were too scanty, the soldiers in
sisted, for real men.