I was saddened by Cliff Chadderton's view of the pardon being considered for executed First World War deserters. It may be true that, at the time, execution for desertion was believed necessary for maintaining discipline, but Mr. Chadderton begs the question when he asks: "How can you expect other troops to go on sacrificing their lives if they knew they could get out of it, and then get a pardon?" Clearly, the battlefield performance of Canadians in subsequent conflicts where this punishment was not enforced belies his reasoning.