SERVICE DISCIPLINE AND POLITICIANS

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5285, 23 December 1946, Page 5

SERVICE DISCIPLINE AND POLITICIANS

(Special Correspondent)

WEAKENING INFLUENCE officers' authority undermined

LONDON, Dec. 21. In commenting upon the 1 - cent refusals of duty by Ksmall rfections of men in the British armed forces, Lieutenant-Gen-eial H. G. Martin, military cori.spondent of the Daily Telegi aph, deplores the present tendency of some sections - of Loth Parliament and the Press f -• undermine the authority of ; "th officers and n.c.o.'s. , also asserts that some memof Parliament show very little ..iseretion in following up complaints made to them by men in the forces, uud that their aetivities havo heconie "a threat to discipline and an' intolynible burden to the staffs of units." Lieutenant-Genei-al Martin points >'Ut that the Russian Army, after the .evolution, developed, as a proletarian r.iilitia in which the offieers, n.c.o.'s and men were eonsidered to be "all ■oy s together," but that" it remained an unsatisfactory military instrun.ent until its lamentable showing in the Finnish war brouglit about the introduction of a strict disciplinary code. "Discipline is necessary in any army," says Lieutenant-General Martin, "to protect the Army's vitals, and iny process which tends to soften that protection is extremely dangerous." The faet that Ihe queston of the furces' discipline is exercising the minds both of the Army authorities and Parliament, is indicated by a itlerence made to it in the House of Commons this week when Lieuter.ant''olonel W. H. Kingsmill (Con.), suggested during question time that members of Parliament should "re,'i'ain from suggesting to men who are j .loing wrong .that they are doing I .-ight." ! The remark was prompted by a i piestion from Mr. W. Gallagher (C'ommunist) who asked the Minister of War, Mr. J. F. Bellenger, for inMrmation about a service case which was subjudice. j There have recently been questions | in the House concerning allegations of unfair treatment or bad conditions I made by servieemen writing to their ; .nemhers of Parliament. ; Service memhers have shown no disposition to accept the facts assert- , ed by some of the questioners withi'iit corroboration, but the tenor of ihe debate .showed that some misgivings are entertained in service quarters about the effect of too mueh poli-tic-al interference upon discipline.