Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-15
By WESTBROOK PEGLER

~ "
TORT BRAGG, FAYETTE-
VILE, N. C.. March 49,
No doubt it was reaching for
the moon to wish that politics
and the civil government were
imbued with the same spirit of
honor and governed by the
standards of responsibility that
rule the lives of the regular
officers of the army, the navy
and the marine corps.
In that case, in some i'm
portant respects, we would have
something very like perfection,
because graft by an officer is
so rare as to be scandalous
when it is revealed. Not only
is the CRATER himself disgraced
when he is caught and con-
victed. but even his family par
takes of his humiliation and his
name is passed on from genera
ton to generation of officers.
One officer who was con-
victed many years ago has
never ceased to fight TO clear his
name.
QY CONTRAST, the CRATER in
- politics seldom is even re-
preached by the peoplc and often
is admired for getting away with
1t year after year.
An officer of the army, for
example, who paid an income taz
far in excess of his total sci.
airy and who obviously was ac-
cepting brides from companies
selling goods to the army or
gifts from subordinates as the
price of concentrations leading
to their promotion would not be
allowed to braZen things through
as the mayors of three or four
of our principal cities have done
in comparable circumstances IN
recent years.
A really careful officer would
think about accepting as little
as box OF cigars or a case of
liquor from any one whose mo-
tives might be doubtful. If he
should permit any member of his
family to write insurance or
completion bonds for private
companies doing government
work under his authority his
honor and his standing among
his colleagues certainly would
suffer.
| am not sure he could be
tried on charges in such cases.
but l suppose scrupulous Off
cer-and most of them are that
could be expected TO place on
record somewhere his repudia-
ton of the transaction.
IN SINGING out the regular
L service here have no inten-
ton to suggest that the reserve
guard or emergency officers are
distinctly less honorable as q
group. But they do come from
civil life, in which the standards
in business and the protes-
sions as well as in politics-sr~
less severe.
Consequently. if irregularities
due to dishonesty. as distin-
guished from bad Judgment, aie
discovered in the inevitable In
yes tigation some day of the
vast spending which is now In
progress. miltarized civilians
probably will be at fault.
For il is a fact-say what we
will-that under the spoils sys-
tenn the very honesty of the
pcopfe-tas been corrupted
such a degree that practices
which. by service standards.
are plainly dishonorable. pass
without challenge.
The officer gets rather de-
cent pay but is a poor man by
comparison with civilians of the
social set with whom he asso-
ciates in his middle years.
His social security is written
into the terms of his original
hire. When he is through. I'M
less he has voluntarily quit or
has been fired for cause. he has
his pension, and all the while
he gets some extras in the way
of housing and discounts which
pad his way.
But over a whole career his
life certainly is not luxurious,
and army wives, unless they
have private incomes, are not
competitors for the title of best
dressed women.
VET. patriotic as they are and
L honest to spectacular d.
gree by comparison with poll
ticians, they couldn't give good
government under a free system.
because in that case they would
have to enter politics.
And while it certainly is true
that they play politics within
their own circle, our system gen.
orally shields them from the
temptations and ravages of our
outer. or public. politics.
They are, in a sense. wards OF
the government, and where they
govern they do so by powers
received from the political gov
eminent and by rules and meth
DDS which could not be imposed
on civilians. except in emergen-
cies such as civil commotion.
DoccihIy I coptradicf r,,vcaf IN,