Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-08-03

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conducted at David Lawrence.
temperature OF 124. For the parent,
Of those who died, 1t was more i'm
portant news than what was hap.
pening in Italy. For those parent.
the climax Of the war had come.
In an effort to find out what the
Army does in such cases, inquiry was
made, and 1t was stated that while
the enlisted men were told to remain
at certain point while the officer
In charge went for water, they dis
obeyed orders and wandered off
So far as the War Department is
concerned. the officer in charge was
not culpable.
But, 1t will be asked, who ordered
maneuvers in the California desert
at a temperature of 1874, and were
there any precautions taken to avoid
loss of life under such extreme
weather conditions2 There is, of
course, no way of knowing who was
responsible for the maneuvers and
whether any degree of culpability
attached to the officer in command
unless the War Department chooses
to make a formal inquiry to deter
mine the blame.
Another Case In Pacific.
Another instance which has occa-
stoned some concern occurred in an
operation in the Pacific where, it
is reported q group Of American
soldiers were bayonetted while
asleep In their tents by the Japa-
nese In a surprise attack. The an
swer to this as given here Is that
this was suicide smash by small
group Of, Japanese who concentrated
on one point in our sentry line,
broke through, and caused consid-
cradle casualties before they were
stopped by = counter attack by q
reserve which had been placed, it is
said, to repulse such an attack.
Again 1t is asserted that there was
no culpability and no ofiicer was
removed.
The Armys policy calls for giving
consideration to the difficulties faced
by officers who must make q choice
between dangerous alternatives In
the disposition of their troops. The
War Department Ia against the
raising Of questions concerning the
conduct Of officers believing that Its
own system Of inspection is ade-
quate.
The complete absence Of any ad-
missions concerning mistakes made
since Pearl Harbor indicates either
that no errors have been made or
that the War Department considers
secrecy is desirable concerning any
such errors Of conduct. The main
facts, it Is asserted here, have been
given out whenever any important
inishap has occurred This Is true.
But as in the case of the episode in
the California desert, the facts were
revealed, but not whether any cul-
pability attaches to those who
ordered the maneuvers under the
extreme conditions prevailing.
Permits Covering Up"
The present system permits cover
ing up. and to some extent high
officials are handicapped In getting
evidence unless they order formal
inquiry OF some kind. On the whole,
the impression prevails that the
number Of incidents In which
laundering or incompetence has oc-
CURED are very few and naturally
the Army is more interested In
seeing emphasis laid on the fine
manner In which the huge force Of
enlisted men has been modified and
trained than in any focusing of at
tention On the few errors made.
What Is more important, however,
than the episodes mentioned. is the
system, and 1t would be in the public
interest II the facts concerning the
Amy's methods of checking in
competence and laundering were
formally disclosed by some one in
authority.
Little Public Criticism.
These are matters which some
times get before the Senate or House
Military Affairs Committees which
constitute = civilian check on mill
tary bureaucracy. In the present
war, there has been very little public
criticism Of the Army's various ex-
petitions. However, there are men,
bers Of Congress who feel that there
has been . needless sacrifice In the
North Pacific, due TO failure to man
Alaskan bases early enough, but this
Is more directly related to strategy
than to conduct by officers In COM
mand.
Some day all the facts concern
Ing our Alaskan expeditions may be
scrutinized with an idea of determ-
lining whether the losses at Attu
= and presently Mt Kiska might have
been measurably avoided.
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