The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-08-07
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 eeIIttIe Charge. Because
They Do Not Realize What offenss
Really Means In Time Of Battle.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.


BY EDWARD B. 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.
1t appeared at the hearings thnt
several officers who were accused Of
cruelty to prisoners have been con-
victed anu that others are awaiting
.r'"'' VI course inc statement 'hat
Aheiie"h so,uiers VINO were PRISONERS
our suhlu"ouses were erueily ,rea'-
10 o"e " ",ouSe ue "nser VI u'e
peop.' W. ~ o"e o
n-....,,.'' '. a.. '"e ." nno 80
.'. ale t." ""u .naI $500.
'me
army olnc'a's oe'.eve 'na, 'he ho'n,
ers nhu iathers Oh the soiu'ers snouiu
Know una. these cases are aso'a'eo
ones mat every eharee VI i','re"'.
men. i'uu peeh ,h'es.sa'eu' anu .i'a'
."ose pfoSeu ~ oe sui''s VI erue'y ~
'ie iheil nave peei' orouen' 10 Jus''ee'
UT are "oou' u ne 80 Drought
Ihere are TWO sides TO every army
eues.io"' us mere are 10 every ques.
tioh IN civil hfe' out the tendency OF
the american people as SHOWN by the
washington records, Is 10 oeheve
everything Ill that IL spoken OF the
army ihere are many guarohouses
IN france. ihere nad 10 De p'ases
wnere the unr"iy' !he mutihous' tne
smrks ana DINERS chargeo WIN "'h'
tary onehses couid De connheu.
Small In Proportion.
The number Of prisoners charged
with ofYenses was large. but It was
very small in proportion to the number
OF men in the army.
There has been q 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 ofrense. One hears frequently in
Washington, as apparently elsewhere,
how shameful a thing II Is to lock q
man up simply because he has taken q
day or two days leave without per-
mission. Doubtless fathers and moth
ers Of many American soldiers feel
this why.
How would the fathers and mothers
of some of the soldiers killed on the
battlefield feel today on this subject
II they knew that perhaps their sons
lives were lost because the sons of 9th.
or 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 1t is that "a. w. o. L." on occn-
sion means much more than people
think 1t means. Cruelties to prisoners,
whether they absented themselves
from their commands Mt critical time
or not, Is something that the American
people Will not stand Tor nut the ex.
pressions OF sympathy Tor weh-treateu
prisoners simply because they are pms
oners is sometimes misplaced. IL Is
no lie to say that some American
soidiefs iost their hNes "ni,e uoI"s .ne
work which II WAS eie ""'y Vi o'"e'
soldiers 10 40.
The speciai committee OF 'he mousse
OF representatives, ~ ihNes's"''"s
charges OF crueities 10 guaruhouse
prisoners in France. Any omcer or
noncommissioned oincer VINO Is crue'
to . prisoner, no matter wna' MS o.
Tense, Will De punished' tor such al
ways has been the way OF the miHtary
authorities In the neid' Out 30 far as
sentiment and sympathy concern tnem-
selves with legal punishments FOR men