The Government have introduced certain changes into the Army and
Air Force Bill for this year in regard to the death penalty. They propose to retain the death penalty for mutiny, treachery, cowardice, desertion to the enemy, leaving a guard without orders and leaving a sentinel's post without being relieved, but'to abolish it for a number of offences such as sleeping on sentry duty and striking a superior. The Labour Party has for many years taken the line that the death penalty should be retained only for treachery or desertion, but the Government may well think that it is right not to act too precipitately. ,War, a horrible business, must necessarily have peculiar rules ; a soldier's life is theoretically forfeit directly war is declared ; and it is not logical that he should be able to save it by disregarding the lives of countless comrades.
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