Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-08-25
rmyBeefing
Held Sign Of
HighMorale
But RunYon Urges Iour
Of Camps by Roosevelt
Nv DAMON RUNYON

hN tFst' Nv ." OAN
DRESIDENT ROOS EVELT
4 should make a visit 10 every
soldier camp IN tho United
States. talk 10 the men lndl-
vidually and collectively learn
something Of their mind their
problems, and tell them some Of
his own. After all. he is the
Commandcr-ln-chlel of the army
and "A closer contact with the
young gentlemen of his land
forces might be- of value to him
and 10 them
We realize that the President
is "a busy man and that there are
inhumCrahle calls on his time.
but there can be no call more
important than this now. a tour
of investigation more than
gesture. would be evidence Of
that concern for the soldiers on
the part of the commander that
has not been dSCerniblc 10 them.
II might help. too. 10 lack up
that low morale that We hear
exists IN the army though we
are inclined 10 discount some Of
the mOroSc reports. II IS our con-
lecture that what many obSerV-
crS mistake for low morale
among our soldiers IS the normal
reaction of a citizen army IN
time of peace we'll, we are not
al war. are VIC?
1t is the inallenable right Of
the soldier TO beef. The British
call IL grouSing We have never
seen group of American sol
dlcrS especially IN situation
OF comparative inactivity, which
did no1 have its bceterS But YOU
can hear plenty of similar beef
ing among civilians. and in both
cases the topic of the beetlng Is
the way things are conducted.
When the soldiers hCCt II IS
called -lnW- morale When the
civilians beef, it IS just beetlng.
WE WOULD say that an
w army that did not beef
would be an army of low morale
rather than one that reSoun1s
with becfng When a soldier
gets 10 where he is unwilling
10 let out good loud beef.
criticizing the administration of
the army. lis works, the camp,
the food his superior officers
and everything else, nc is an
alarming case
His silence argues a dropping
spirit that IS greater cause for
worry Than When he played The
fuic- uf what IN our t1me was
called a squad room lawyer, and
told his comrades what is wrong
with tho army
There is plenty wrong, too
always has been. always viii be.
We do not suppose the wrong
is any greater now than IN
former days, but the errors of
American army organization,
especially when we arc raising
citizen army never seem 10
be fully rectified and the con-
fusion eliminated
In short, when an American
soldier becfS he has something
TO beef about. and more power
Ia him II ne resigned his privi--
lego of becfing which we doubt
Viii happen. our army would
tUvr that American indepcnd-
cncc that is It's soul.
IF WE we're in-the n4e-AeH
can bet YOU would hear some
high class bcefnC We would
hc -hccfng about the pay. 10
begin with. We have been beef
INC about that from the side
lines for some time but our
heels 10 date would be ChirpS
compared TO those We would
ISSUE If we had to take that
pay
We would be bccfng about
the way guys arc getting COM
missions through political pulls.
We would be bccfinc about the
camps that politicians managed
10 got located in dusty, muddy
places who're no human haBita-
ton should he permitted.
We would be hccfing about
I the civilian attitude toward sol
dlerS IN some localities and about
hclnC Mold over in the army be-
Nond our agreed term. while
+ thousands of healthy guys are
earning hig money IN non-cSScn-
III pursuits and somehow dodg-
ing military service Yes. this
last would he one OF our big
hcof~.
We would he beenng about
-ntonthtps we dttt not like and Il
/ we ram 90 0W old army form We
"0uit NOT iIke much of anything
j And cur bcelIng would not he
/ evidence of low morale. but of
our understanding of our Amcu-
i can right 20 beef without which
we would have no leSt for living.
Keep bccfine, young gentle
men
Let tho poor dumb driven sol
dicr> of the dicta,orS take what
is handed them in silence and let
tho diciatorS call that high mo-
rale. If they wish. but YOU keep
heeiing And the louder YOU
beef tho more we viii know that
adj IS well with The army of the
United States Of America
Cnprgb' 1881 KING Features synd lr
Distributed ny International Nevs ssry.
ONE YEAR AGO TOpty