OCR Text |
Show "Backs Up Its Generals" A lot of nomsense has (been spoken and written about the disciplinary action recently taken tak-en by Lieut. Ge.i'. Ben Lear, who rightly punished 350 soldiers near Memphis, Tennessee, for their conduct in shouting at girls in shorts co a golf course. The way some Congressmen talked, you 'would expect Congress Con-gress to pass an act immediately upholding the right of the soldiers sol-diers to shout, as they please, at all iwomen that they meet. Thi.-, would invite improper conduct everywhere and give the go-ahead go-ahead signal to small groups of men in uni'lorm, which would inevitably in-evitably produce civilian displeasure dis-pleasure and cause serious criticism criti-cism of men in uniform. The most common-sense pro- nouncement on the whole affair came from Under-Secretary of War Patterson, when asked if the War Department approved of Jhe action taken by Gen. Lear. Said Mr. Paterson: "The War Department backs up its generals." gener-als." That is the only way to have an army or to develop soldiers. |