AUSTRALIAN PLEA

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 166, 15 July 1943, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN PLEA

Major Acquitted For Drinking" With Non-Com. N.ZJ.A. Special Correspondent Rec. 1.30 p.m. SYDNEY, this day, : ~- Australian military officers, it is \ understood, will not be brought before court-martial in future on charges of committing breaches of •. discipline by drinking with other ranks. Interest has been aroused by - a case in which a major was acquit-i;,-ted by a court-martial on a charge of,. having drunk intoxicating liquor in public with two non-commissioned • " officers, "to the prejudice of good order and military discipline." The prosecutor cited the "unwritten law" forbidding such a practice, which was not specifically banned by King's Regulations. "The Court's refusal to make a military offence of this incident will be generally approved," commented the Sydney Sun editorially. "There is no "ground for any belief that discipline can be prejudiced because, off duty, it may be reasonably relaxed in accord with friendship," the pap. r states. Several officers said the decision of the court-martial would meet with the approval of the entire Australian Army. "We hold strongly to the view that the Australian Army is a democratic army," said one. "In time of peace a man makes many friends and, although in time of war some men are appointed to commissioned rank, .that is no reason why earlier friendships should be discouraged. "That an attempt, should have been made, presumably on high authority, to break down the democratic foundations of our army is not merely to be regretted but strongly resisted," he added.