The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-06-12

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 Berlin. June 11.--(Special. )--One must not believe that the lenien' sentences being meted out today in the trials of German soldiers and sailors at Leipsic, charged by the allies with violations of the laws of war, are due to any bad will on the part of the judges presiding.
 Their task is not an easy one The accusers are the deadly enemies of yesterday. The accused are the "defenders of the fatherland.' The judges have had their education and bringing up in a school of thought " hich ascribes all virtue and power to it's own people, and all faults and vices to the people toward which Il is historically and bitterly hostile This tends to make it easier for the judges to believe their fellow coun- trymen rather than the testimony of enemy strangers.
 But even if the judges have the courage to withstand this tempta- ton, they are bound to observe and uphold the legal regulations Of their country-reGulatio which the strangers do not know and have no wish to acknowledge.
 No Fault With Judges
 If there be fault to find at Leip- sic, it is not with the judges. II is rather with the idea or min- tary discipline" inculcated with iron vigor in the last two generations and it is asking too much that Ger many be punished more severely TOT olfense against foreigners than they have been punished in the past for similar offenses against their own people.
 If is not a new story, this reve- lation of the i'll treatment of men at the prison camps. The boxing oi ears. the tying up of men, the chang ing from hot to cold shower baths the throwing of small stones, the putting with guns--these have often been the means of enrorcing mill tary obedience among German re- cruits in our own barracks,
 According to the German military nenal code. the deed of superior officer in which he has enforced obe- dience in a case he considered an abuse of his military authority l' not punishable. This same rule holds true in the case of subordinates obeying the command Of a superior officer, Under this code, danger te discipline" has been suppressed, nc matter the cost.
 His majesty's cabinet order ol July. 1877 (during the kaiseEs re- aime the orders of the supreme wal lord always were thus cailed), s'a.c' that even corporal punishment in flirted upon subordinates is not to be considered an offense, or i'll treat ment. or to be punished Such pun jshment was to be considered neces' sary to keeping up the idea or mill tary discipline"
 That order must be taken into ac' count in viewing the Leipsic trials.
 The Military "Iden."
 The allies tell us that to overcome inc military idea in Germany, ln' war was carried on. Prusslan tet many. we are told, has lost tnis idea" and for generations will have to pay dearly for it.
 However, is 1t consistent with com mon sense and justice on the part o' the allies, after victory ana peaoo To continue to carry on wariar' against inconsequential persons wn' had become contaminated py ny "idea?" Especially when the contanli' tion was wholly unavoadaple, Ah' necessary Tn oruer tHde se
 might keep his post.
 The scandal and shame is that 'h' fate of highly cultivated prisoner of war often was confided to persons of much meaner station of life, soci as brewers or coopers in the uh' forms of sergeants. fingered o iaundiced under officials were mad commanders of camps in which mel of brains of western Europe wer'