BULLIES IN THE ARMY.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 December 1919, Page 11

BULLIES IN THE ARMY.

BRITISH ALLEGATIONS. THE DRILL SQUAD TYRANT. TORTURING THE RECRUITS. London, Nov. 10. Following the publication of Mr. Stephen Graham's book, "A Private in the Guards," in which he alleges that bribery, beating, torture and injustice were practised by non-commissioned officers when drilling recruits, thousands of former soldiers are writing to the newspapers (describing the hororrs of the drill squads. A selection of these letters which have boon published shows that at several en nips, especially that of the Guards at Caterham, the permanent non-coms, were execrated, owing to their merciless cruelty, degraded language, and constant money-grabbing. An extraordinary figure called "Black Jack" recurs in the correspondence, and was apparently the leading horror of the Guards barracks. He is spoken of as a "tyrant of the worst type; only the pitchfork was missing." To-day's instances include that of a lad at'eatcrhaw, who was stripped and beaten, in a bath until he fainted, and of men who were driven insane, and in numerous cases were bullied into desertion. Another soldier was used as a pummelling pad by a sergeant showing skill with a, bayonet. An Air Force RBM. writes:—"l was bullied and beaten in the Guards till I complained, when a sergeant-major prodded me with his cane, wiped his muddy boots down my uniform, spat in my face, and dared me to complain again. I left and right hooked the sergeant-major, who fell senseless, I deserted and joined the Flying Corps." Former sergeant-majors of the Guards write that bribery is Tife throughout the army, and that it is unfair to make the Guards stand all the blame of the disclosures.

General Codrington, on behalf of the Coldstream Guards, in a letter to The Times, resents the comparisons made by the paper in a leading'article on Tuesday, and adds that the Guards Divisions' record compares favorably with that of any other troops. "Their success," he states, "was not due merely to iron discipline, but to the regimental spirit, high purpose, and selfsacrifice which was inculcated at Caterham." The Times, in a leading article, says that the old discipline produced reliability and steadfastness, but lacked initiative, and never allowed the private to think. In the House of Commons Mr. Winston Churchill (Minister for War), refused to institute an inquiry inio the sergeants' cruelties.