The Wilmington morning star., 1940-07-04
THE ARMY AND NAVY

oSdI OIL.
I am sure that Judge Alton A.
Lennon has nothing but the best
interest of the young manhood of
this section and the country at
large at heart. His work insofar
as I know is deserving of com.
mendation and J. am in no way
criticizing him. However, his idea
of the way to dispose of youthful
derelicts is unquestionably not con-
ducive to the best interest of the
country, assuming that I under
stand correctly the report in the
Wilmington Star of this date per-
tanning to the case of G. w. Duna-
want.
Judge Lennon is not alone in the
assumption that the Army and
Navy r the places for correcting
the youth. I have met this attitude
in all parts of the country. In gen.
eral, I would say that he is right,
provided this country had compul-
sorry military service where cases
of this kind might be cared for
under a special department. How
ever, our armed forces are main
tanned on a voluntary basis. The
efficiency of the Army and Navy
depends on the efficiency of the Of
f1cers and enlisted men in the
services. The regular Army is the
back bone of any war time Army
we may have in the future. For
that very reason, it is imperative
that we have the very best men in
our ranks during peace time. /
don't know whether or not Judge
Lennon has a boy, but if he does
I am sure he wouldn't tell him to
enlist in an Army or Navy that
|harbored boys with police records.
On many occasions, I have heard
them express themselves a b o u t
boys who had records behind them
and who entered the Army or
Navy for that reason. 1t is most
demoralizing. One of our great
problems in peace time is to get
the better type man interested in
enlisting. 1t is a problem of all
countries who depend on the vol
untary system. It is most unfor-
tunate that in peace time, the cit
izenship of the country looks upon
the Army and Navy as a refuge
for the re~calcitrant youth, with
the net result chat we get all too
many of the unfortunate and not
enough of the fortunate. It is one
of the problems we have today.
1t is much greater than the lack
of guns, tanks, battleships a n d
planes. I wonder how many moth
ers would care to have their sons
enter the ranks of the Army or
Navy that is looked upon by the
people in high office and high
walks of life as a harbor of refuge
for men with police records. In
spite of the fact that the Army and
Navy refuse to enlist any man
with a civil conviction, it is evi.
dent that back in the minds Of the
great populace of this country
there is an idea that the Services
are for only one type of boy-he
who needs to be reformed. Until
such time as the minds of our
people are fully disabused of this
idea, we may have all the tanks
and planes in the world but we
will never be safe from aggression.
Condemn Germany but don't
overlook the fact that the people
of that country were smart enough
to prepare the minds of their PEG.
pie along with their preparation
in armament. In peace time, the
enlisted man is no less a hero than
in war. Home on leave, the best
is his. The result is a high type
man in the ranks-one who is
proud of his uniform and his coun-
try, and is willing to lay down his
life at the proper time. In contrast
to that, Jul enlisted men in peace
time are looked upon as men who
were unable to make the grade in
civil life and entered the service
as a last resort. Frances greatest
deficiency in her recent struggle
was not a lack of arms, tanks and
airplanes but a lack of that some.
thing that permeates the ranks
which means a difference between