Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-01-03


name of the writer, the name being
withheld from publication. however,
when desired.
Another condition is that COM
munications shall be free from any
malicious object and. If criticism is
employed, IL must be OF a construc-
tive character. The Evening Capital
will be pleased to publish communica-
fions meeting with these requirements
which are not OF undue length.
TAKING THE UNIFORM ON TRUST
In the arrest of young Annapolis
boy at Baltimore the other day upon
the charge of wearing the uniform OF a
soldier without the authorized right
to do so is seen an instance which
forecasts a condition which will have
to be met as a result of some hun
dreds OF thousands of American boys
having helped to make the world safe
for democracy.
This boy apparently had no crimi-
nal intent and no monetary object as
a motive. He had the romance of
youth and wished to share in the
glamour which cast its halo about the
soldier who had served in France,
therefore he posed as such to crafty
a foolish. though very natural, desire
to become hero before the public.
The war department order which
has given the discharged soldier the
right to retain his uniform is of ques-
tionable merit. If the department. was
actuated by wish to crafty the very
human sentimental desire of soldier
TO retain an insignia which had be-
come so close part of his daily life
IL is surely to be commended for its
good sense and abandonment of those
tactless technicalities which too often
mark military procedure. But the
order which permits the soldier to re-
tain his uniform gives him personal
ownership of ii. And the right of own
ership carries also the right of dis
posal.
Thus il is that the great American
public is in a fair way to allow itself
to become victimized in its alteration
of youth who has fought for his coun-
try. For il is certain that the sol
dier's uniform will fall into improper
hands for any one of a number of rea-
sons. The result will be that some
wearers of the uniform will make use
of IL as a cloak with which to cover
their transgressions. Some may wear
IL much for the same purpose as this
Annapolis boy appears to have worn it,
to bask in the warm sunshine of hero
worship as the central figure. Others
will make use OF the uniform from un-
worthy mercenary motives. preying
upon the sympathy and respect of the
public for the man who has fought for
his country.
Others, and these are unquestionably
the greatest menace of all, will make
use of this uniform and bring ever
lasting disgrace TO it by causing it to
serve their immoral purposes. There
is an enchantment about a soldiers
uniform to the romantic girl, and,to
her usually credulous mind, the au-
thority of it's use by the wearer will
rarely be questioned. The average in
teliigent young man who has kept in
formed of the events of the war, even
in the most cursory manner. and who
has perhaps had the additional adj
vantage of having intimate acquaint-
ance with some one who has had an
active participation in it, will find it a
small task to impose upon the credu-
bility of hero-worshipping, soldier
enamored young girl.
These are the dangers which lay be-
fore us in our too ready acceptance of
the man in a uniform. Our own young
men whom we know will undoubtedly
be given to the telling of some tall
stories" when they return. and the
stories will gain in stature with each
telling. But that is a form of harm
less deceit which we can accept with
proper modicum of shocked sensi-
bilities and large degree of charity.
II is the man who has a sinister pur-
pose and has the confidence-winnins
ally of a soldiers uniform whom We
have most TO fear.
There have already been reported
numerous instances of impositions
practiced upon the public by spurious
soldiers. With the return of all oul
overseas force and the complete de-
mobilization Of our home forces, there
will become a0more widespread use 81
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