Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-01-21
SOLDIERS ASK
CONGRESS- AID
FOR RELEASE
Local Boys Make Efforts to
Hasten Prolonged Demob-
ilization in Army.

Word cones to the city Of the steps
taken by q number OF soldiers in east
ern camps who have entered their dis
charges. with no result, and are at
camp without opportunity Of return
ing to their former positions.
One local young man, sergeant In
the motor transport company at Camp
Humphreys. Virginia, writes AZ inter-
esttng letter to friends in the city de-,
failing the efforts made on the part
of the boys to get their discharges
Representative Tilson Of Connech-j
cut, after having investigated demob-
problems, declared. that he
would introduce legislation to compel
that they have dependents or that
they must return Immediately to their
business. Titled officers who want to
make their jobs more important and
more spermanent are to blame" he
said. These under-ofiicers do not
send the applications for discharge to
the commanding officers as required
cases the commanding officers them
selves have told the lower officers not
to send them the applications
Representative Tilson quoted from
the war department orders as fol-
lows:
Circular No. u.
First, department commanders
within the United States, commanders
OF ports of embarkation and comman-
ders OF camps not under the jurfsdic-
ton of department commanders OF
partment, are authorized to discharge
enlisted men upon their own applica-
ton when there is sickness or other
distress in the soldiers family or when
he is needed to employment
In an industry or occupation in which
there is urgent need of his services,
provided that such discharge will not
disrupt or cripple an existing organi7
zation n >that the soldiers services
can be spared"
"War Department, Jan. 6, 1919:
Circular No. 9.
First. Applications for immediate
discharge under the provisions Of Cir
cular No. II, war department, 1918,
will be acted upon as expeditiously as
possible and the applicant will be in
formed without unnecessary delay Of
the action taken. Deserving cases
should be Investigated and where the
applicants have not correctly or fully
stated their reasons for asking i'm
mediate charge. officers should render
such assistance as may be necessary
to correct them so that the applica-
tions may be properly presented and
acted upon"
Orders Said to be Disregarded.
Il have personally investigated sew
eral cases where men were said to be
necessary in camp and found them, do
ing nothing. This lack of responsible
ty will In the end tend to sap all the
vitality and ambition the soldier ever
possessed and the country will wake
up to find on its hands a bunch OF
lazy. shtftless men," said Mr.. Tilson.
The circulars have not been fairly
acted upon by the subordinate Officers
and subordinate commanders. Army
officers" he further said, Should act
IN good faith under these. circulars
and not in accord with their W con-
%venience. -
Marine Releases ON Merit.
In the navy similar orders have
been issued, but they have been acted
upon in a much more intelligent and
satisfactory way. The marine corps is
still! better. The marine corps is very
desirous of holding its men, especially
It's good men. and yet there is hardly
a case OF complaint from the marine
corps, because they are CONSIDERING
on its merits each individual case. and
because they do not desire to keen
even good men where the reasons are
the other way and where thew ought
TO pc permitted to return to their
families or their business.
III this thing goes on here this IL
what is going to happen: The army
service is going to be made the least
desirable of our military or naval
services" ~
~" 'S~ecrctary's Viewpoint.
IN an interview with John Lewtas,
I. ~. =: A. secretary. who is visiting
IN M city. the manner in which de-
scribed as follows:
In the two months which have
elapsed since the signing of the armi-
slice. the government has made much
more decided progress in their de-
mob1lizat1en than any one city will
perceive: At Camp Custer men are
being discharged in large numbers
u due to transportation impede
Lewis Is noticeably slow. 1t is the
policy Of the government to demobil-
lie slowly" says Mr.. Lewtas, .because
or the lack Of employment. If all
the men were to be given their dis
charges at once, cities and towns
would be crowded with unemployed
men,. Many soldiers are incapacitat-
ca AFTER sickness and are not physical
~ TIT to resume their former posi-
tons. Fol- this reason the war de-
partment is far sighted enough to see
that hurried rehabilitation would
mean ruin to many soldiers and to the
country as a WHOLE"
Goes to Inkster-Miss Marie Jor-
censor OF this city left today for Ink
From Red Lake FAlls-E. F.
Wheeler Of Red Lake Falls spent last
evening in the city, visiting friends,
He left for his home this morning.