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Show POLITICAL PULL GETS SMOOT A COMMISSION (From The IP iovo (Herald) Many citizens of Provo and Utah County are highly incensed over the appointment of Harlow Smoot to a commission in the regular army as a second lieutenant without any training whatso-, ever. Young Smoot made a trip to Washington, and while there he and his father (Senator Smoot) put the deal over in some fashion, fash-ion, and secured for the son the coveted goal. Had he gone to a training camp and taken the required training of three months or so, as did his older brother, and then secured a commission we would have nothing to say. But when the politicians can put such things over the war department in time of a great crisis like this it looks to us as if there was something rotten. In times of peace it is not unusual for young men to get appointments which will later give them a commission in the regular army, but in time of war these courtesies should be cast aside. Only those who are thoroughly qualified and equipped by experience, either in business busi-ness or by special training, should be given such honors. Such appointments from civil life cannot but help discourage those young men who have volunteered their services or entered the service through the selective draft and have been promised that if they showed proper qualifications they would be given a chance at a commission. Many of these young men from this city are now serving in F battery, and some of them have worked hard for nearly two years and served their country through thick and thin, and yet when they go to an officers training school and manifest to the instructors that they are thoroughly versed in the essentials of military training are refused commissions. Under these circumstances we feel that it is very unfair and unjust to pick some fellow from civil life and give him an appointment which will place him in command of those who are in reality his superiors in training and military discipline. We are proud of a young man who wishes to serve his country in any capacity, but where is the justice in such appointments as the one mentioned above. We will venture the assertion that at least 50 per cent of those young men who have already gone into the service of their country could pass a higher test in every way than the young man who has been commissioned a second sec-ond lieutenant in the regular army. We would also like to suggest sug-gest that the senior senator from Utah might serve his constituency consti-tuency better if he would give more time to the grave questions which concern the future of this nation instead of so much time to securing political plumbs for his son and political friends |
