The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1919-07-31
PUNISH OFFICERS
WHO WERE CRUEL
CASES OF BRUTALITY FEW IN
PROPORTION TO NUMBER OF
MEN IN ARMY.
"A. W. o. l." SERIOUS oFFENsE
Tendency Among People of United
States to BelittIe Charge, Because
They Do Not Realize What offense
Really Means In Time of Battle.
BY EDWARD q. CLARK.

BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.
Washington.-A special committee
Of the house of representatives is in
vestigating the charges of cruelty to
American soldiers in France who
were confined to the guardhouse on
various charges of bad conduct. Six
American soldiers, now discharged
from the service, have testified that
they were brutally treated while under
arrest.
] It appeared at the hearings that
several officers who were accused Of
cruelty to prisoners have been con-
victed and that others are awaiting
trial. OF course the statement that
American soldiers who were prisoners
in our guardhouses were cruelty treat
ed is one to arouse the anger Of the
American people, but it ought to- be
remembered that the cases Of alleged
brutality are. few and that 2,O0O,O 600
men were serving the colors in France.
Army officials believe that the moth
ers and fathers Of the soldiers should
know that these cases are isolated
ones; that every charge of nl-treat-
ment had been investigated, and that
those proved to be guilty Of cruelty to
the men have been brought to justice,
or are about to be so brought.
There are two sides to every army
question, as there are to every ques-
ton in civil life, but the tendency of
the American people as shown by the
Washington records, is to believe
everything Ill that is spoken Of the
army. There are many guardhouses
in France. There had to be places
where the unruly, the mutinous, the
shirks and others charged with mill
tary offenses could be confined.
Small in Proportion.
The number Of prisoners charged
with offenses was large, but it was
very small in proportion to the number
Of men in the army.
There has been a tendency among
the people Of the United States to be-
little the charge known in the army as
"a. w. o. L." otherwise "absent with
out leave" A good many Of the guard
house cases were men charged with
this offense. One hears frequently in
Washington, as apparently elsewhere,
how shameful a thing it Is to lock a
man up simply because he has taken
d or two days leave without per-
mission. Doubtless fathers and moth
ers of many American soldiers feel
this way.
How would the fathers and mothers
Of some Of the soldiers killed on the
battlefield feel today on this subject
IL they knew that perhaps their sons
lives were lost because the sons Of 9th
err fathers and mothers had shirked
their duty, and had gone "a. w. O. L."
at critical times. thus necessitatfng
service in the first line for men who
already had served there and were in
rest billets?
So 1t is that ga. w. o. L." on occa-
sion means much more than people
think it means. Cruelties to prisoners.
whether they absented themselves
from their commands at critical time
or not, is something that the American
people will not stand for, but the ex-
pressIons of sympathy for well-treated
prisoners simply because they are pris-
Oners is sometimes misplaced. 1t is
no lie to say that some American
soldiers lost their lives while doing the
work which it was the duty OF other
soldiers to do.
Shirked During Drive.
At the time Of the st. Mihlel drive
/ was ordered from Tours to go into
the advanced zone. When the train
stopped at way station six American
soldiers in charge of military police
man came on board. They were be-
ing retained under guard to their COM
mands with the charge of absent with
out leave marked up against them.
I talked to two Of the prisoners
They admitted that they had been
absent without leave for ten days.
This was at time when their COM
mands were engaged In bitter fight
with the Huns. The only excuse that
the men offered was that they had
not been given leave for long time,
and so they took it without asking.
According to their statements they had
been In Paris.
1t may not<be so, but it is possible
that six soldiers who did not absent
themselves from their duty were COM
PEELED, during the time Of their earned
relief from the front, to take the places
Of the recreants who had seized the,
opportunity to see the sights Of Paris
while the Americans were at battle
grip with the Germans.
The special committee of the house
Of representatives is investigating
charges Of cruelties to guardhouse
prisoners in France. Any officer or
noncommlssioned officer who Is cruel
to a prisoner, no matter what his Of
Tense, will be punished, for such al
ways has been the way of the military
authorities in the field, but so far as
sentiment and sympathy concern them
selves with legal punishments for men
who shirked their duty that others
might do it, the American people in
many cases; perhaps, Justly might stop
sentimentalizing and sympathizing.
Pass Bill to ExpeI Aliens.