Deming graphic., 1919-08-05
"Hardboiled" Smith

Returning soldiers who have been so
unfortunate as to have been In the
"millr at some stage OF their military
career, take a sort OF grim satisfaction
in the hard luck that has overtaken
''Hardboiled" Smith. who.in addition to
serving time for cruelty to prisoners
under his charge at Schell near Paris,
Is the defendant in a divorce proceed
ings. Things are not going big for
Smith any more.
There are lots OF 'Hardboiled"
Smiths in the world, In the army and
in civil life, and their mission In life
seems to be 10 make matters just as
disagreeable for the other fellow as Is
possible. How such fellows do enjoy
little authority, and how officiously
they exercise H. Not to get the work
In hand done, Is their chief aim, but
the imposition OF their wobbly will ON
the men under them. You might be
surprised to know how many army Of
ficers. and men In civil life too. think
that they are getting ahead by making
themselves feared and hated by those
with whom they have dealings.
Such men may be making a success,
but they are not entitled to It, At
heart they are towards and are using
their bluff to eamouflage their weak
nesses. II Is a primitive defensive.
lions roar, dogs bark, and cats rear
their hair and spit for the very same
reasons-to put fear into the hearts of
those that they have reason 10 suspect
are their mental or physical superiors.
They, like -Hardboiled" Smith, only
strike when the other fellow Is not In
position to defend himself. They are
craven OF soul and dispicable, but too
often they get away" with II. I know
of superior commanders who single
out snch cattle TO do the dirty work.
They pass over the soft spoken chap
and are not always impressed with his
quiet way OF getting the work done.
Running a prison is dirty work and
job that only a "Hardboiled" Smith
would like, for II Is here that the men
are delivered over for confinement or
punishment and are fair game for those
that delight in the torture OF fellow
creatures. A prison camp is as near hell
as aay place on earth can think Of.
and took good care that neither was L
a commander there or a prisoner Most
soldiers take the same view OF the mat
ter, hut, unfortunately, not only bad
men bu. good often got tangled up with
military law. know some mighty
good fellows were under my com
mand that got into the tolls after leav-
ing the home organization. They never
would have gotten into trouble under
the command OF some one for whom
they had respect and who would take
some interest In them. They were the
victims Of a vicious system administer
ed by damn fools that were officers
and gentlemen only by act OF congress,
but were roughnecks OF the very worst
type either with their Sam Brown belts
on or off II is good to know that some
Of these fellows are coming TO judg.
ment. A lot OF them are trying to re-
main in the army. They ought TO be
kicked out without ceremony.
But there Is, unfortunately, another
side to the question that involves a
problem Of military administration
that bobs up in every war and seems no
nearer to solution than before. In
every large body OF men there are per-
verts-sicious beings little better than
animals and a thousand times more
dangerous than small pox. These men
naturally gravitate to the military
prison, and restraining them for the
good Of the service has caused about
as much trouble as running a campaign
In the field. The 10th Div. In which i
served was drawn up behind the First
Army 70 try to stop some OF these fel-
lows from wandering around loose in
the advanced area. II was said al that
time that about 5000 men were In the
area ard absent from their commands.
Some Of these were deserters, others
were insane. some were robbers. quite
number were A. W o. Is. for a short
Deriod. and a larppr number were men
that had been separated from their