Detroit evening times., 1946-01-15

cannot have been so very badly
done.
MUTTNY in an army is COR
ANI ruption that must be met
and beaten with courage and
force and there have been many
mutinies in the American army
since the days Of victory in
Europe and Japan.
Regiments have sent petitions
10 newspapers, columnists and
radio btatherskites which, in
some cases, have been treated
with A great show Of sympathy
with intent 10 curry favor WITH
new public OF civilian vet
Grams.
One sergeant in the Pacific
was quite proud OF his daring
defiance Of military law when he
started campaign to intimi-
date senators and congressman
by promoting manifestoes.
signed by hundreds or even
thousands OF his comrades.
II these men can get away
with such a serious offenss
under military law and In
time Of war, what will he
their attitude toward law and
authority when they como
home:
Will they emulate the mobs
in uniform which roamed
through Germany after the
First World War and storm
city halls and state capitols
pressing demands for one thing
and another? II so, a MuSSo-
lini or a Hitler may spring up
from among them and the whole
nation, themselves included.
would pay the penalty.
4 LREADY. at home. We are
"A beginning 10 see the service
uniforms on picket lines and IN
mass demonstrations which lack
only the sure. skilled touch Of
the Communist manipulation 10
turn them into riots and insur-
rectionS.
The precedents Of the ClO
riots which ragged over four
states in the organizing days
and the new mob scenes in the
current strikes have been ac-
cepted whereas they should be-
unthlnkahle and they are an
ominous indication Of our COM
placent inurement 10 a growing
contempt for government. the
only force that can protect US
all from one another.
DROBABLY. from the stand
Il point of national morale, IL
was a mistake 10 rush the
troops through the ports az
they came home without any or
with hardly any triumphal pa
radeS
Not until Ws examine the
facts do ws realize thot these
men. sniistsd or called up IN
the finest time Of their youth,
quietly Uanishsd into the on-
LnoWn, quickly and. or the
whole. heartily adapted them
selves TO hard life under
rigid diseipIins. secretly dis
appeared oUerssds and, finally,
returning home, Went straight
from the ships TO the camps
Whers they Wsrs nustsrsd
out. one by one.
Few Of them sUsr had the
sdtisfaetion, troditiondI With
eonquerinR armies. OF porad-
ing doWn great Avenues, be-
tWssn cheering banks Of their
feliow citizens, With eorionds
on their guns.
Their return to ciUH lite
Wos almost furtive and, haU-
ing returned. they find their
country ratified by strikes and
riots fomented by men Who
promised not to strike during
the Wdr but struck ten fhou-
sand times sVen oVer such dis
gracefully petty issues as the
color of the sUest eys-wdsh
psddled from, the hokey-pokey
cart in the tank foundry.
WE HAD one bitter experience
w in the bonus march on
Washington in Herbert Hoov-
er'S time.
True, not many Of the men
were in uniform but they were
identified in the public mind.
thanks in part to bad newspaper
work in Wa sh ngton. as
wretched, hungry heroes Of the
First World War.
Too late il was established
that this challenge 10 the gov
ernment and the stability 90
the nation. itself. was organizeG
by a Communist front calleG
the "Workmen'S EX-ServiceI
League" and that hundreds of
the rioters were Communists
with no service records what.
ever.
Many of the real veterans
were not needy, at all.
Nevertheless the mob at
tackled the police and Mr..
Hoover TO this day has been
vaguely blamed for some sort Of
massacre when the fact is that
not a single veteran was even
injured nor a shot fired after he
called on Gen. Macarthur To
clear the streets.
Copyright, isfe. by kim Featurss