Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-07
Keep Faith
With Draft
Army Men
Don't Violate Pledges,
johnson Asks
BY HUGH s. JOHNSON

"A I'm that war;" says the
preacher in Ecclesiastes, 8-8.
He leads up TO it by this:
Because TO every purpose
there il time and judgment
and therefore the misery of man
Is great upon him. For he
knOweth not that which shall
be. For who can tell him that
which shall be?"
l am one Of the foremost adj
mirers and supporters of Gen
George Marshall, now chief of
staff. i first foregathered with
him as a "Shavetail' and sand
rat" at old Fort Reno so many
years ago that we both like 10
forget the number "Shavetail
means a rookie regular second
lieutenant who hasn't yet had
any experience.
1t derives from the fact that
new army mules. sold by con-
tractors, always have their tails
shaved 10 improve appearance
and fetch a better price. Sand
rat" means a new officer. so low
in dignity that he has 10 sit in
sandy pit and mark hits of
targets 10 assure contestants
that there is no fenagling.
NOV General Marshall my
~ old buddy-preSents a star
ting suggestion. 1t is that men
who were drafted and also re-
serve and national guard officers
and men who voluntarily en-
gagged for service under terms of
laws which limited their obliga-
ton either 10 defensive opera
tons in the Western Hemisphere.
or 10 a fixed period of service
should. regardless Of their repre-
sensations, now be required TO
serve as long as the government
desires and anywhere the gov
eminent dictates.
Pass the legalisms in this
case. 1t is no time for quibbling
on technicalitieS, but no time is
too late for justice. Over and
over again, when these limiting
laws were passed. this column
criticized the limitation There
should be mo discharge in (any)
war" On an analysis. the old
Jewish law. repeated in EccleSi-
astes and elsewhere, is a COM
/ plete and realistic code for Sc
lective service even as 10 eX-
emptionS.
Our own history proves their
virtue over and over again. But
this time we slipped;
THE misery of man IL great
! upon him. For he knoweth not
what shall be-"
In this column II was not hard
&c see from experience what
shall be. but this is nntte- say
Il told you so.
/ WHEN Gen. Winfield Scott
w stood before Mexico City
with victory in his grasp he had
to sit helpless for months wait
ing because OF limited terms OF
service Of his volunteers. who
demanded their discharges in
conformity with their contracts
( Of enlistment.
The same thing happened over
/ and over again in our Civil War.
When General Sherman pre-
dlcted that the war would last
four years and require Conscrip-
ton and unlimited terms of SOL
dier service there was great
clamor 10 retire him as a dan
gerouS lunatic.
Well, here we are again. With
his profound and complete sat-
uration in our military history.
General Marshall wants TO cut
across all lines and require I'M
limited service from these vari-
Gus classes Of soldiers who were
enticed or indicted under a
different understanding. l am
ready TO concede that. on our
theory Of citizenship. they have
no legal rights. But too much
havoc is being made all over the
world by violation Of the prom
Uses by which men live.
/
As THIS column pointed out
"A in the beginning. il was a
grave mistake TO inveigle these
men by any other understand
ing than that there is no dis
charge in that war" but in or
der 10 get these laws passed
easily these assurances now pro-
| posed 10 he violated were given.
I don't want TO be critical.
/ ! understand the stern expedi-
ency advocated here. But the
present crumbling Of what we
are pleased 10 call western civ
ilization" is wholly traceable TO
violations of good faith and
honor, and in my reluctant opin-
ion that is exactly what is be-
ing proposed here.
There are many ways to Off
set this early mistake in judg-
ment and good faith. Among
them ! would not include
breach Of plain ordinary honesty.
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