The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1946-03-18

Caste System in
Army Causing Post
War Discussion

the war. The result has been q live
ly postwar agitation for what adj
vocates call characterization OF the
armed forces.
Is that possible In an efticien.
defense organization? This seems
70 be a question no one can an
swer positively today.
The only major test on the sub
ieet this century was Russia's sx-
pertinent In the characterization o:
its army.
One OF the first things Lenin
and his fellow revolutionaries did
after they got into power in 1917
was TO abolish all the distinctions
between officers and enlisted men
which had existed in the Czarist
army.
Proclsiming they sought the "de.
cisive eradication Of every Unequal
fly in the army" they banned all
ranks. titles. insignia. decorations,
officers organizations and signs
OF distinction,
The army OF the Russian Repub-
lie," they decreed. is henceforth
TO be composed OF free and equal
citizens bearing the honorable title
OF soldier OF the Revolutionary Ar
my"
They also issued a decree pro-
viding that all officers be elected
by the soldiers from among he SOL
diers. To be promoted you had to
win an election.
A new Army system was thus
born. There were no salutes. no
orderlies for officers, no separate
messes, clubs nor quarters for Of
ficers, no insignia except q small
mark on the sleeve denoting a
mans elective office. Instead Of
ranks, there were thirteen cate
gories OF service" such as platoon
commander" assistant company
commander" etc.
But throughout the 1925 and
1905 there was a consistent trend
away from that experimental mpi-
tary concept and toward the pro-
Decentralization OF the personnel
who were In command. BY success
sive laws and regulations, the top
drawer soldiers became more and
more segregated from The rank and
file.
A decree OF September %. 1885,
reestablished individual ranks for
officers, provided for the wearing
OF insignia, and instituted system
OF regular promotions for officers.
After the first war with Finland
which badly 1olted Red Army pres
tige, many changes were made.
Saluting was required again on May
8. 1910. On October II Of that year
q new disciplinary code" was pro-
mulgated, tightening up discipline
all along the line and generally re-
vamping the military organization.
Soviet writer's and military lead
ers of that period were widely pro-
claiming the virtues OF strict mill
tary discipline. Soviet government
officials never openly stated that
the discipline o. the Red Army had
ever been anything less than su-
perb; but foreign observers have
concluded that the new pointed en-
phasis on that subject Indicated
that when the army's discipline has
been tested in war. the leaders had
not been pleased with the results.
In January, 1943, a special decree /
restored shoulder straps on Off
GERS uniforms, as an aid to author |
ity. On July "a, 1943, a decree es-
tablished an officer corps, along |
with three other categories: gen.
erals, non-commissioned officers
and privates.
Recently the Red Army revived |
the institution OF orderlies, or bat |
men"-with much public explana-
ton that the idea was not so much |
to provide servants for the officers |
as to give the orderlies a chance 20 !
receive training under an officers I
tutelage.
There are now twelve ranks |
among Red Army officers, from
junior lieutenant to marshal. The
officers have clubs separate from |
the enlisted men. There is abou.
as much military custom and pomp
as In any other army. Officers and
enlisted men must stand at atten-
ton and exchange salutes when CIV |
ing or receiving orders. Military
personnel address one another by |
their rank. And when an officer |
visits an enlisted mems barracks
or other gathering, all troops snap
20 attention.
Nowadays, the Red Army is
pretty much CT, American style.
Idaho's Democratic Senator Tay-
lor summarizes Loan, Lend, Lease
and Give proposals pretty we'll |
when he views them as a cover for |
surplus production serving two |
purposes. First the food we send |
abroad saves lives, and second, It |
balances our market.
Except for helping a war ally get |
on its feet economically, Taylor de- |
clared that It would be better to |
distribute the three and three-quar- |
ter billion dollars as consumer sub
sidis at home, but in order to keep
the American private enterprise |
system working. surpluses must |
be gotten rid OF periodically" be-
cause workers never get enough |
money to purchase the systems
whole production"
One way to get rid OF SURPRISES
is to make loans or gifts TO other
countries that will take the sur
pluses off our hands. AS the sen.
ator concluded, 1T doesn't make
IF