Graded Justice
Sirs:
Now is the time for the American people and the American Congress to take a good look at Army justice.
On one hand, we have Colonel Kilian, commander of the Lichfield Reinforcement Depot, who was convicted ... of permitting brutalities at the camp [TIME, Sept. 9]. His punishment was a $500 fine and a letter of reprimand. . . . Even now he is up for promotion before the U.S. Congress. . . .
On the other hand, we have Sergeant Smith, an ordinary soldier with an eighth-grade education. The Army court-martial found him guilty of giving several unjust punishments which he had been ordered to give and of giving one beating in which he took the initiative. . . . His punishment was three years in prison.
Is there any justice in the Army?
GLEN O. ALLGEYER Rhineland, Mo.
Sirs:
Sing a song of privilege, A pocketful of rank. Kick and beat the G.I.s Make 'em walk the plank.
If you wear an eagle Nothing much to fear, Guys like Captain Carroll Lose the judges' ear.
Hail the conquering hero! What's a little fine? Next year Colonel Kilian Will be wearing stars that shine.
MAURICE W. WELDS San Francisco
Sirs:
Does the U.S. Army actually hope for volunteer recruits when that is the type of graded justice it metes out?
GEORGE J. VANHEE Seattle
Sirs:
Had Göring been tried in Bad Nauheim instead of Nürnberg he probably would have been given an official reprimand, fined 500 marks and given the option of letting Justice Jackson off scot-free or prosecuting him for maliciously instigating his trial.
What is this? The American people are paying this bird Kilian. ... Is our Army, with its absence of moral accountability in the higher echelons, becoming more powerful than our Government?
ROBERT J. DAY State College, Pa
Volunteers
Sirs:
TIME [Sept. 9] states: "Despite posters and propaganda, Army enlistments were not going well." I believe your readers may be interested in these facts:
¶ Over 930,000 have joined the Regular Army as volunteers since the campaign began last fall.
¶ We expect to sign up the millionth recruit this fall.
¶ More than 52% of the volunteers have signed up for three years. . . .
¶ Recruiting is subject to seasonal fluctuations, and the present decline in intake in no way indicates that the voluntary program is failing. . . .
.... It is true that the job of building and maintaining a peacetime Army is now, and will remain, an enormous one. Even when we level off at 1,070,000 men next July 1, we will still need some 35,000 to 40,000 men a month to keep the Army up to strength. We need all the public support we can get on that job if the U.S. is going to have a volunteer Army.
B. M. FITCH Brigadier General, U.S.A. Adjutant General's Office Washington, D.C.
The Institute
Sirs: