MILITARY ENQUIRY.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 5, 7 January 1908, Page 5

MILITARY ENQUIRY.

AN UNPLEASANT CASE,

•■■■•'■ LONDON, Nov. 22. A very strange and unpleasant case, materially affecting the honour and credit of our army, is now occupying a large share of public attention. Ostensibly it is a mere appeal by_ am ordinary young subaltern against what he conceives to be certain i»justice with which he has been treated. In reality it covers far wider ground; for one thing it is a virtual recrudescence, albeit in a milder external shape, of that species of lynchlaw which some years ago, when it took the shape of "ragging," so strongly excited public indignation and brought about the downfall of one or two distinguished officers of high rank, who, by negligence, if not of intent, had allowed the objectionable practices to prevail. In the present case a young lieutenant of the Grenadiers has had great pressure brought to bear upon him, first by his comrades, and latterly by his superiors, to "send in his papers," or, in other words, to resign his position, abandon his prospects and relinquish his military career to which he was greatly devoted. After long and fruitless correspondence he finally, at the instance of his father^ demanded an investigation. This is now proceeding under several distinguished officers, and several legal counsels even more distinguished are appearing for the respective sides. The evidence given was interesting. Perhaps the most striking of all was given by Lieutenant Woods's immediate superior officer, Major Corkran. A number of official reports had ben put in, all representing Lieutenant Woods as earnest, active, industrious, studious, ardently devoted to his profession, and fairly intelligent. But by degrees this tone had been succeeded by one much less favourable, it being alleged that the lieutenant had not a nice manner, was wanting in tact, was unpopular with the men— the rank and. file—and was disliked by his brother subalterns. The reason for this last feeling being quite openly stated to be that he did not mix enough with his comrades or take part in their amusement—the old story, and a most discreditable ons, being in effect that he was too mucJi devoted to his duty and too little to play. Ultimately his superiors advised him "to leave and practically threatened that if he did not he> would be "put out." The cross-examination of Major Corkran by Mr Rufus Isaacs, K.C.,. brought out much that threw a lurid light upon, the feelings entertained and the methods pursued towards the unpopular young officer. One complaint made by Major Corkran was "When Lieutenant Woods came anywhere near the men on parade, I have seen them nudge one another 1" Please don't tell me that it was the men who did the nudging., 1^ was not the men that were no trial, but. Lieutenant Woods, and that was one of the sins cited against him. Another of his heinous crimes was that Ms manner "bored" the men. Drill often does! "He bored* them and they got annoyed," said Major Corkran.

M^r Isaacs thereupon invited tha major to explain himself more clearly. What did Woods do that "bored" tha men? What single act or failure to act on his part was wrong? "Wha& was the precise thing he had done?" said Mr Isaacs, "cannot you help nic? lm I to take it that you cannot give? me anything farther?' "Well, if you will have it," answered Major Gorkran, "one day my payofficer came to me and said if I did not take Mr Woods away from, that corporal, that corporal would knock him down." One must admit that, this was very wrong of Mr Woods~ But it seems a somewhat novel tesfc of an officer's conduct that his corporals might knock him down if heweren't taken away. Major Corkran; did hot seem to see it in that lights' for he promptly removed the peccantlieutertantv \ '■-■ Mr Rufus Isacs might well exclaim, "Now, we have it!" He forced Major Cbrkran to admit that all he heard was what that pay-sergeant told him. "Do you know to this moment what he was doing?": asked Mr Isaacs. "No;" answered Major Corkt-au. "You never enquired?" "No." "Was nothing said to Mr Woods about it?" "No." "Was no opportunity given him to explain?" "No." "You did not caution him to be careful P" "No." "Although you found suchfault with him?" "No." "You never warned \ him?" "I don't rememberdoing so." "Never gave him any suggestions as to mending his ways with the men?" "I don't remember."' "Yet after those two months you reported him unfit to hold a commission." The major aesentea. > "Why did not not tell him of this incident ?'* "Because I did not choose to." "Did you mean in your report to say alt you could in his favour as well' as what you thought necessary to say against him?" Certainly. "Hay© you observed that there is nothing i« your report in his favour?" "Yes." "But you found him keen; wasn't that in his favour?" "Yes." "And that he was painstaking and hardworking?" "Yes." "Then why not say it in your report?" "It never entered into my head that his keenness or his wish to do well could be questioned by anybody." "Surely these are matters which should be referred to in any report which deals with him, and in which it is said that he is unfitted to hold a commission?" "Well, yes," answered the major, hesitatingly.

Now, this gives the best possible idea among all the evidence extending over several days, of the attitude iowards the unlucky young man. Theworst that could be said of him by anyone was that he had not an agreeable manner, either with his comrades or with the men, and yet a number of eminent officers and a pack of amusement-hunting subalterns are found banded together to hound the young man out of the army, to rob him of his much-loved profession, and in effect to ruin him for life. And these are supposed to be "British officers and gentlemen !"