Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 98, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 April 1919 — PUNISH THIS GUILTY ONE [ARTICLE]

PUNISH THIS GUILTY ONE

Chicago Tribune.—United States soldiers at S3O a month were employed to build roads in southern states. They worked akmgside Negro civillians who were paid $5 and $6 a day. They entered the army to be soldiers. They were willing to sacrifice everything for America. They endured the strictest training and discipline. They joined the army as fighting men. They were forced, under army displine to become road laborers. Who did this? Anw why does not the guilty one face the charges in a criminal court? Can the company commander of a unit from the University of Wisconsin he held responsible? No, he was under orders from the colonel. Can the colonel be held? Not so; his orders came from the division commander. Then the division commander? No, for he got his orders from Washington. Who in Washington sanctioned this gross mis-conduet? The trial seems to lead straight to the door of Secretary Baker. Surely it was his business to know if men of the U. S. army were being used foT other than military purposes. There is no doubt of the wrong done because Congress has ordered the soldier-laborers, paid on the basis of the wages paid to Negro laborers who worked with them. The Negroes were paid $5 and $6 a day. The soldiers who enlisted to fight in France got S3O a month. The Southern state will have to make up the diference. But even this does not come out of the state treasuries, but out of a federal road gift. But the point is'Congress has declared by its action that the charges of forcing soldiers to do road work are true. If true, then it follows inevitably that some one is guilty of the charge. It is not sufficient to pay the soldiers the difference between S3O a month and $6 or $6 a day and then let the affair drop. Paying the difference is only a confession of some one’s guilt and the technical compounding of a misdeed. Does Baker escape the indictment of forcing soldiers to grub as common laborers merely because Congress does an act of justice by paying them what any laborer would demand? Hasn’t the United States army had about odium enough heaped upon it by Baker? The soldiers did forced work as laborers; it has been admitted by Congress, they are to be paid; here is proof of iniquity The official responsible for such a gross mal-admin-istration should be fetched into court. We think there should be punishment meted out to the guilty one.