MILITARY DISCIPLINE AND PUNISHMENTS. The Committee on Public Information acting under the authority of the United States Government have from time to time published and issued pamphlets giving some extremely valuable facts and explanations with regard to the Great War and dealing with its causes and results. Not the least valuable among these circulars is No. 113, issued March, 1918, and devoted to “German Militarism and its German Critics.” This handbook contains forty pages and is compiled from sources which the Government regards as sufficiently reliable to justify extensive circulation. It may be obtained by any one who will send request, and refer to it by title, from the Committee on Public Information, Washington, D. C. From this document we quote a few instances of brutality which have been presented by credible witnesses:-- 1. “A Polish recruit was maltreated so fearfully by an officer that he finally hanged himself. The officer induced the soldiers to certify that they had seen nothing. 2. “An officer struck a sick recruit repeatedly on the chest so that he screamed with pain and soon thereafter died in a hospital. 4. “Soldiers were struck in the face during instruction.... Witness saw hundreds of times helmets pressed down and the bands which held them under the chin pulled so that the soldiers grew red in the face. Alsatians and Lorrainers particularly were maltreated and frequently called ‘French Skulls’ and worse. The officers warned the men against complaining, promising worse treatment if they dared to report these outrages. 5. “During the maneuvers no day passed without brutality.... Boxing of ears, blows, even with the sword and riding-whip, were daily occurrences.... Complaints were omitted for fear of the consequences.” Enough. In the circular it is stated that at a certain military trial in Germany, held in 1914, 922 men from all parts of Germany had signified their willingness to give testimony and were ready to report some 30,000 separate instances of brutal treatment of soldiers. Hence it seems apparent that the spirit of dominant militarism is arrogant, ferocious, brutal. It harks back to the time of medieval tortures. By the circulation of Tract No. 113, the Government of the United States has indicated its abhorrence and utter condemnation of such cruel and inhuman methods of enforcing discipline. Naturally we expected that our army officials would not for a moment countenance such arbitrary and tyrannical treatment of offenders.