Evening star., 1955-08-25
POW Code

Your editorial on the POW
code shamed me in my own
house and made me glad
my father is in his grave.
And yet it is not your fault, be-
cause you are but a mirror OF
my beloved country which has
put its birthright up for sale.
Gen. Hull must have signed
the code with a heavy heart.
since he thereby admitted.
formally and in writing. that
the country to which he has
given a lifetime of service no
longer has the moral fiber to
bind itself to a soldiers creed.
He must be glad he has taken
off his uniform. since he now
knows that when he sees it on
the street it does not clothe a
man sworn to be steadfast
unto death.
Any chance bit Of intelli-
gence can cost the life of a
man who has not given UP and
who is still fighting for his
country. am now told that if
things get too tough I may
barter this mans life for my
own. Or even two such men.
Or a dozen. / do not know
where it stops. I can keep on
trading other lives for mine up
to the point where I disclose
vital" information. What will
"vital" information give to the
enemy-a battalion? Or is it a
regiment? Or a division?
Yet, even this creed for
towards is too strong. You
state, And it will be a sad
thing If any youngSter who
may break down in enemy
hands in some future war is
to be stigmatized, under this
code. as a betrayer of the
faith" These are shameful
words-a shameful. despicable,
ignominious statement.
Yet leaving aside all such
words as honor, courage. duty.
love of country and love OF
comrades, what are you talk
ing about-war or a basketball
game? War is fought for mems
lives, not for some trophy to
put on the wall. When men
break down in war, and they
do cannot say l would not
break down if put to the test
they die, or someone else
does.
When you speak Of war you
speak in the comfortable
American sense where war is
some place else, and in which
the United States is victorious,
or at any rate undefeated. Men
do die, but that is war. When
you hear artillery shells
screaming by your bedroom
window, will you still think 1t
too much to ask a soldier to
fight to the death, or will you
feel it a sad thing to stigma
tie a traitor?
I have been asked to be a
coward. Do not ask me to be
a fool.
r. w. Norman,
Brig. Gen, U.S.A.
4 X 4 4
wonder how many people
were chilled to read Of the new
Code of Conduct" adopted by
the armed forces. 1t is exactly
like the horrible oaths OF
spiritual allegiance by German
or Spanish soldiers fanatically
devoted to the Fascist cause.
1t is a very terrible thing
that our armed forces have,
to an extreme degree. become
entangled with the spirit Of
Prussian militarism and seek
to indoctrinate free American
citizens with this concept.
However, to create a code"
based on such ideas and REIN
forced with religious and pa
triotic fervor is tEe very essence
of the fascist philosophy.
Heretofore, human values
have always been considered of
infinitely greater Importance
than proper military rule book
behavior. But now our citizens
are formally notified that
everything must be subordi-
mated to top brass regulations.
Regardless of the consequences
to himself or others. the letter
of military law must be obeyed.
The individual is now of no
concern. l refer, of course, to
that part of the code" which
commands captured personnel
to resist giving information, to
engage in subversive activities
against the enemy and to make
every effort to escape regard
less of the result. 1t is not
necessary to state that the
results might be quite severe.
I should rather prisoners be-
have and any information
be given than jeopardize
themselves.
OF course. our soldiers should
no trained hu iptallioapt opd