Criticise Severe Army Court-Martial Sentences

Northern Advocate, 14 September 1944, Page 5

Criticise Severe Army Court-Martial Sentences

< Special) SYDNEY, This Day. r lhe severity of army coiu'l-martial sentences is being widely discussed in Australia by returned servicemen. Members of Parliament from both sides of the House at present are examining the case of a soldier sentenced to five years' gaol for having gone on strike. The New South Wales Returned Servicemen's League was told that the soldier, Private John Wilson, of Sydney, with others, had staged a sitdown strike in protest against buginfested quarters at a Brisbane camp. Jaoled strikers were dishonourably discharged from the army. Wilson served overseas fob two and a-half years with the Ninth Division and several of his comrades have told of his gallantry under lire. “Abundant evidence is available to prove that Wilson is a good soldier." declares the Sydney “Sun" editorially. “He has received a gaol sentence which, on the facts available, shocks the. community. Compare his crime with those of civilians who sabotage the war effort by repeatedly striking without reason in the ranks of industry. Yet small fines plus a large measure of appeasement has been the lot of these saboteurs. Wilson’s, sentence should be reviewed immediately. Failure to do this wpuld earn for the Government the whole country’s indignant conderhnation."