Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-08-29
PegIer Backs
Officer in
Draftee Case
Declares Youth Would
DemoraIize Command
By WESTBROOK PEGLER

yak. draftee, was sentenced e.
10 years and 9 months in the
Leavenworth disciplinary bar
racks for willful disobedience OF
lawful military commands. His
case has been promptly taken
up by Congressman Stephen NJ.
Young, Democrat from Cleve-
land, who ventures the opinion
that the lieutenant first con-
cerned in the case probably
would not be worth his salt in
civil life. The sentence was sub
sequently reduced.
This soldier spat on the floor
in the mess hall and refused to
clean il up; he spat on and lit
tered the floor near his bunk.
he refused 10 clean his mess kit
and he finally refused TO work
as member of the guardhouse
gang.
IIe Is Is by All accounts, dis
obedient soldier who would de-
moralize any command and set
an example which would result
in filth. disease and the total
loss of discipline.
He had his trial at which no
denial was made and by his atti-
tude he left the officers who
tried him no-c hnice-bHt to do
their duty or finch.
They acted for the good OF
the other soldiers of the same
command who would have had
10 live in the disgusting condi-
tions created by this individual
or clean up after him.
For that they are insulted by
a member of the legislative body
which enacted the laws which
they faithfully enforced.
4 RMY officers have absolutely
"A no defense against the in
suits Of congressman who elect
To build political prestige for
them 81 Ives by sounding off
under the protection Of their
special privilege at random and
at will
BY all published accounts In
this case. the lieutenant. Leo J
Kraus, was Very patient with
the recruit and tried To convince
a newcomer that he must obey
orders and show decent consid-
Grafton for the other men with
whom he was living.
Although the men In the
hunks on both sides of Private
Habinyak were reasonably clean,
they would. nevertheless, have
TO live amid the mess created
by a sullen sulker or take on
the extra duty OF cleaning up
after him.
Men in barracks or in tents
have an individual responsibility
10 one another IN the matter Of
cleanliness and. far from defend
ing a mutineer, the congress
man should have taken the part
Of the other men who doubtless
prefer 10 take their meals In
reasonable cleanliness and 10
live in quarters appreciably
more sanitary than the New
York subway.
Unfortunately for Congress
man Young's position in this case.
the officers are only enforcing
the laws which were handed 10
them by the body of which he
is a member and the sentence is
one that was prescribed by Con-
gress, not by the army.
THE contention that an indi-
i vidual should be permitted
10 act like some animal violates
the rights Of Fall the soldiers
who have 10 live with him and
Congress made no mistake in
holding that the officers should
be not only empowered but re-
quired TO enforce sanitation and
inflict punishment for filth and
defiant diSobedience.
A better and older method 81
dealing with Habnyak would
have been 10 tell off some decent
soldier to punch him and repeat
the treatment every time he
spat in the mess hall or the
barracks.
But there has been so much
meddling with discipline that
officers court interference when
ever they get tough.
Thus. II sergeant does take
poke at some smelly individual
for refusing TO battle or other
wise creating a disgusting nui-
sance, the officers can be sure
that some congressman will raise
a boiler about brutality.
II is unjust and contemplate
conduct by a congressman 10
toss off for publication the cas-
uel opinion that young officer
probably isn't worth his salt in
civil life just because the young
man has had the courage TO do
a difficult duty obviously in the
interest Of the enlisted soldiers
Of the outfit.
Copyrighted by United Features synd Inc.