Show PROBE fOR fORWAR FORAR WAR AR COURT SYSTEM IS ISIRE DIRECTED IRE C 1 J TED TEDI I I Judge Advocate General Crowder Writes S Secretary cretal Baker of Differences He Tie Has With i l General Ansell WT A r m T r I. I n rm i Tk T L' ll l y Ull L vv Iv between raj Gen Enoch H. H Clow Crowder er judge advocate general and Brig Gen Gem Samuel T T. T Ansell former acting acting- judge advocate general were c explained and the thc ordering or or- dering cring of a n thorough investigation b by bythe bythe the inspector general of the thc army arm into the thc whole hole subject of or th the administration admin on of military justice during tho the war vai wa wa-i disclosed in a letter from fromI I General Crow Crowder er to Secretary Baker I made public to today a at the thc war ar department department department depart depart- ment Accompanying General Crow Crowder Crowders s sletter letter was one from Mr lr Baker asking ll tW tic ju judge ge n advocate general for a n complete com corn statement nt as to the thc operation of military justice cc The 5 secretary wrote his own acquaintance J with tb fa fats facts t s' s co convinced 1 him that that- the thc oTi r 4 d r 4 j J do O not exist and had no not c. c lt n but that it was H essential that the families of all those young men WM had Imd a n in ill iii our ma magnificent arm army arm n should be e reassure reassured In reply General Gener Crow Crowder cr imia made a a t. t general defense a against recent criticisms In iii Congress an and elsewhere concerning t con courts m martial courts cases eases cases anti and antiI anelI I charged that General Ansell without his knowledge an arid consent and consent had sub had Sub Sub- I a brief to S Secretary r tary Baker carl early In the thc 1 war r urging u a l 1 revolution in In ine a military 1 Justice stem linker Boker oke lle II i Order r General Crowder also said that at about aboul the same time that this brief brier was submitted General Ansell without without with out consulting the secretary of or war obtained d an order from Crom tho the chief of pf staff appointing nl eU acting ju Judge go advocate ocoto general This was after General General Gen Gem eral ral Ansell had requested General such order Crowders Crowder's aid In getting an and m had been tol told by tho the latter to take the tho matter up with Mr Ir Baker Time The order order- was rc ol revoked e b by Secretary Baker before It was as published after General Crowder had called It to Mr Ir Bakers Baker's attention Thc fhe judge advocate ad general said tho tIme I supposed posed ers controversy between himself himself him him- self seU and General An Ansell ll as to military justice ha had been magnified mas since sinco thu thureal thureal real Issues and tko the only ones were wera In hi Indifferences indifferences differences of or opinion as is to whether the power powel to review anti and overturn O c executed ex cx- cute verdicts of or general mar courts existed and whether that pow power r should be bo exercised by the tho Judge o ad cato general or the thc Pre President ident hy System Ste-m teru nt l nult Turning to criticisms that tIme tIle sentences sen son of oC martial courts during time the war have been beema atrociOusly severe se Gen Crowder wrote that this was not nol a crl criticism erR crit of or tho time system of or military justice and not a criticism of or his administration tion 0 of or that s system It is a a. criticism he said of or the officers who imposed for Or r Instance sentences sentences sen son of or death for tor sentinels sentinel convicted l of ot sleeping on post for tor soldiers wilfully wit wil fully and contumaciously refusing to obe obey the tho direct orders of or their commAndIng commanding com corn manding officers and for tor desertion in time lime of oC war and It is a criticism of ot the Congress which authorized a IL death penalLy penalty pen pen- all alLy alty In plain statutory terms to be bo as assessed assessed as- as on convictions con for these of ot- fenRe I do 10 not mean to i say ay that If fe criticism In tho the connection is due duc I aM nm nn Immune I am ana not I agree with the statute and shall defend it It X but ut I lain a arn a not responsible for or It H. Con Considering the thc charges charge from the tho tho standpoInt of oC the 1110 officers who assessed the thc sentences let lot us see sec who they thEW a ar are Th They arc are men taken In a general al dragnet dragnet dragnet drag drag- net through h the tIme nation The They come como from every walk walle of or life lire There Thero ate are of oC them They rhoy comprise a l faithful faith ful fut cross cros section of or our OUI whole people an and ou our national life lire Officers Officer Did Duty Dilly What Is this charge chargo of tic severity h by them Wo We 0 have ha seen that it cannot be bean bean bean an Indictment of or thc the s system It Is la simply sim Im Imph ply ph a i difference Jet between thc the opinions I of or well meaning and humane humano critics fat remo e removed cJ from frona the scene of or the tho offenses offences punished antI and with only onh rv n partisan parthian In Inadequate inadequate in- in adequate antI and highly colored statement of ot that ca cave case c to guide then arid and the th opinions 0 oL ot men who tho facts acts under underlIe tIme the solemn obligation o of or an m oath to bo be honest hone impartial and fair who lived ed in tho tito environment of or the offense and antI AN were ere steeped In the thc reasons making it graVe gravo t and nd t wio 10 5 1 the thc lie sentences on thu tho performance of 0 the Continued on page 2 PROBE FOR WAR MAR COURT SYSTEM IS DIRECTED Continued from page pa-e 1 highest civic duty of or man man tho tho defense I o of home and country These men cannot merit the In Indictment Indict indict- ment and din diatribe trIbe that has been heaped upon their action To us at home In comfort and In peace It Is la next to impossible to reconcile tho the almost unanimous view o of soldiers in the tho field fieldor or theatre of or war on tho thio gravity of ot these nn and many other lesser offenses lI by their thell comrades Therefore tho the execution execution ex ex- of ot not one ono sentence of or death for Cor these things has been approved ed b by me and not one ono such sentence has S 'S been executed Also heavy sentences have havo been reduced comprehensively and uni tini- Corm But oven e with that said I can neither condemn tho tIne officers who assessed the sentences not the law of ot Congress nor the thc system under that law lan that thir made tuc v th thom h m 1 nn tuc v 1 lIUI Motives Are Arc Attacked I r come como now non with the utmost re reluctance re- re to a fe few fan distasteful paragraphs paragraphs paragraphs para para- graphs of or personal vindication My motives moli and In my actions ns have hl been at attacked attacked at- at tacked and ancl I have havo been advertised ad as having ha hampered tho the cC efforts of oC General An Ansell Anoil ell I have been set off ott against I. I him as reactionary ne his efforts to obtain a complete completo revision ret of or tho the old military code which finally mall mall- were successful In I 1916 General said ald During much of this lIlls time General Ansell Ansehl was ono of tho the most promising and trusted officers in my office Dur Our DurIng ing all the tho time that the codo was sas In III rev revision slon he never ne suggested to me nor so far as I can learn to anyone anono else an any of at the lie changes ho Is suggesting now He lie participated In preparing the manual for tor martial courts which was as I based upon the new nett- code coda but he ad ad- none of oC these new views lows Act ct Entire Surprise Indeed the tho first time timo that I J was a advised alse lse 1 of ot such Much a a. view was In em Not her ber 1917 on the tho occasion of ot hl his hla pre pre- seating to you not you not through mo mc and entirely entire without consulting me the me-the tho first Of ot tho t. t ro s. oi h v u. u which so much has been made I Jt It tin has been fn char charged cd that as a a. result of ot that K brief an order designating tn him as actinG ff jUdge advocate general wa tva rc ret eked and further that ho was re rc- rc lIc ed of or his duties of f super I supervising lIng the ad m I ni i s t i-a i t I 0 ni Ci of I iii I 1 I ta ry justice j u St ice Nothing truth truth in lie He could b ho bo farther from froni tIne the e dutIes dutle i was Was never er relieved from ills is supervising the thc administration ministration of ot rj justIce except to take a n ato tn f trip to 1 France rance ran which he he- he was eager eagon to do this But I deem It U to enter fIeld ot of accusation further and dis Ills Ills- cuss the tho man many Issues Of or fact which Se have o tIne the inspector been beau raised as J r nm am informed that been general Jeneral of the arm has Inns 1 conduct a thorough nn and snake malte all the ascertainment aSCer- aSCer That ar of fa fact that are arc to elucidate tIne the tary justice admInistration oi or mIll- mIll during the war period |