Modified

The case of William Mitchell, Colonel of U. S. aviation, found guilty of conduct "to the prejudice of good order and military discipline," went to the President's desk for review. The paragraph that the presidential eyes came especially to rest upon was the one that read: "Upon secret written ballot the Court sentences the accused to be suspended from rank, command and duty, with forfeiture of all pay and allowances, for five years" (Time, Dec. 28). Col. Mitchell's adherents had been hoping that the President would delete that "five" and write "two" or perhaps "three." They had maintained that "forfeiture of all pay" established a dangerous precedent. For though Col. Mitchell's was the case of a wealthy man, another man might some day find himself, not only subjected to the orders of non-commissioned officers, but (being still under orders from the War Department) without any means of livelihood. The President waived Col. Mitchell's personal feelings. "Discipline is the whole basis of military training," he said. But he did not waive the question of fairness to some future culprit. He modified Col. Mitchell's sentence to the extent of granting him one-half of his monthly pay and all his allowances --that is $397.67 a month, or about $4,760 a year.