Detroit evening times., 1945-11-06
THESE
DAYS =
By George {.
SokoIsky

SlIGcl, III lIdlIlS dfIlOilS SlIdHR-
ers or personal friends, / hear
the same gripe.
Officers do not treat the men
as Americans are accustomed
TO being treated.
"The caste system may be
necessary for discipline but 1t
was carried too far.
.0fieers- selected fine estab-
lishments for themselves but
put the soldiers in filthy huts.
"The West Point officer had
some respect for the rights Of
the q. l., but the BARRIERS and
ribbon statesmen treated him as
though he were a German"
Here are a few paragraphs
from Japan:
". i'm our company we have
men with over 100 points who
are still here while other men
with less have already left. One
mans wife died leaving four
children and he has enough
points. 1t took them month
TO notify him OF the death and
he has been standing by await
ing transportation for two
weeks now. Yesterday a colonel
was flown out simply because
he had enough points. We were
told we were stationed too far
from the docks. yet we are only
two miles away
These are the men we must
not forget, for II this type ever
gets the power watch out.
They don't want to demobilize,
for then they would lose their
rank and authority and have to
20 to work"
HERE is another letter: 9
"If we were In a prison camp,
you'd all be bowling get them
outlet me assure you that
we're In prison-every last one
of us. What can we dove
can't bitch to our army Cos
IL we did we'd end with some
swell assignment-you can ina
gine. We can't write to our
congressmen-those letters are
forwarded to the war depart
ment and proper action Is
taken
find out why doctors
who spent the war In England
have gone home with 46 points
while doctors over here with 80
plus points are still here Z.
find out why we're used as
storekeepers, garage men, res
taurant supervisors, odd job
men, supply officers .. :"
uERE is another: II belong
IL to that small minority who
were prisoners of war In Ger
many and who because of their
small numbers are receiving no
credit or consideration I'm being
discharged from the army.
THE point system - where
does 1t leave us? In the same
status as a soldier who was
safely berthed I'm England
even worse - he may receive
campaign stars for being at
tached to combat outfit. We
were unattached =.
II think we have a gripe"
A doctor wrote me that where
he is stationed doctors have only
enough work TO keep them busy
two hours a day. He says many
are becoming alcoholics from
ennui. ~
OBVIOUSLY, it is impossible
" for me or any other reporter
TO investigate these gripes, to
determine whether they are in
-dividual or general, whether
they are justified or the in
vitab lie dissatisfactions OF
strong and vigorous youth with
restrictions of regimented life.
Yet this fact does stand out:
The letters l have received and
the conversation l have had
cover all theaters of war, Eu-
rope, Africa. Asia, and even
American theater. The gripes
are all the same.
This, true or not. is very bad
for the army. In time, it will be
reflected in the attitude of Con-
greSS toward the army. The
gripes are too widespread to be
laughed away. The bitterness
displayed by the men in their
letters and conversations will
not down.
The army ought to invite a
nonmilitary com m S ion, ap-
pointed by the secretary of war,
TO make a thorough investiga-
tion to these gripes and to de-
termine what is true and what
is false. For instance:
lis IL true that officers
raided soldiers food supplies:
2-Is IL true that USO
shows and bands. designated
for GIs, were used to the ad-
vantage of officers?
3-Were CTS punis h e d,
even by transfer, for COM
plants?
Thocn arp a fpU utipCtiOnC