Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-08-13
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 5elittie Charge, Because
They Do Not Realize What offenss
Really Means in Time of Battle.
By EpWARp 3. CLARK

BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.
Washington.-A special committee
of the house of representative is in
yestigating 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.
1t 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
Cd 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 100000
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 il-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 i'll 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 Proport IN.
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 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 We're men charged with
this offense. One hears frequently in
Washington, as apparently elsewhere,
how shameful a thing 1t is to lock
man up simply because he has taken
day 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
If 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 necessitating
service in the first line for men who
already had served there and were in
rest billets?
SO it is that "a. 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 a 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 prfs-
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.
The special committee of the house
of representatives is investigating
charges of cruelties to guardhouse
prisoners in France. Any officer or
noncommssoned officer who is cruel
to prisoner, no matter what his Of
Tense, will he 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 shfrked their duty that others
might do it, the American people in
many cases, perhaps, justly might stop
sentimentallzing and sympathizing.
Senate Debate Not Convincing.
The senate of the United States
these days is literally an international
debating society with national set
ting. The representatives Of nation
are discussing proposed relations with
virtually all the other nations on the
face Of the earth. The senate is an in.
teresting place, but admittedly it IL
a place where one cannot get the full
light of conviction.
The man with an open mind on the
subject of the League of Nations who
goes into the senate galleries TO get
the Illumination Of conviction has his
ii ,ubles. Within an hour the League
of Nations covenant first win be pro-
nounced the worlds greatest document.
marking The beginning Of a new and
better order in worlds affairs" and
then denounced as "a pact which if
given the life Of law will undermine
Americanism. destroy nationallsm and
bring war and tumult into the world"
Men have come TO Washington 10
listen to the debates Of the League of
Nations and gone away saying: eve
must make up our minds for our
selves II IS a huge subject, this
League Of Nations, and no one knows
Il better than those devoted ones who