| Show SMITH I Places Responsibility for Cruel Treatment of American Soldiers on Higher Officers EW YORK July 30 Re Re Responsibility N NEW for cruel treatment treatment treatment treat treat- ment of American soldiers at prison farm No Na 2 near Paris was placed squarely upon the shoulders of Major General F. F S. S Strong and Colonel E. E P. P Grimstead by Lieutenant Frank H. H Smith In testimony given by him before a subcommittee of the house of representatives at Governors Governor's Island Asked by Representative Royall C C. Johnson of or South Dakota chairman of the subcommittee If his superior officers of officers officers of- of were acquainted with conditions In the prison and if he considered them responsible for them Smith replied I Absolutely Those higher In authority authority authority author author- ity knew everything that took place In Inthe Inthe inthe the prison TOLD TO BE CRUEL What were your orders when you were placed in command 7 Smith replied that he had been told by Colonel Grimstead that the orders of General Strong were that prisoners were to b be treated with the mos most ruthless severity Was It your understanding that thai these men were to be treated In such sucha a way that they never would come back to Paris Parts or pass through these farms farm again Yes was waa the answer T TALKED WITH SUPERIOR In reply to an Inquiry as to whether he ever had discussed conditions at tn tho farm with his superior Smith replied I told the adjutant that someone would be bo In Leavenworth before e ire tv got through What was the name of ot the adjutant adjutant adjutant ad ad- Adjutant Hanson Smith was asked about complaints of prisoners that they had lost money at atthe atthe atthe the prison farm He lIe declared that very few of ot the men sent there brought with them more than a few francs Most of or the men s sent nt to the farm of which he was in command came from another prison known as the Bastile where it has been charged prisoners were treated more cruelly than in any other of the American detention camps i TRIED TO AID AID I Smith testified that many soldiers I 1 who came from the Bastile complained r they had been unable to get funds for which they had been given receipts I Ho lIe declared he took up this subject In I but did not get a satI satisfactory satisfactory sat sat- I tory explanation Asked if he had records of this correspondence correspondence cor- cor he said he had not ex- ex that when he was placed on trial before a he endeavored endeavored endeavored ored to locate the records but they had disappeared Smith denied that prisoners at the fart far he commanded ever were beaten The Thet worst conditions at the farm re result resulted re- re sult d from a shortage of food and fuel Many of the men slept in the mud on straw he stated and he had vainly to remedy conditions CO COLONEL ONEL VISITED FARM S pith ith told the committee that althO al- al though thO gh his home was in San Diego Ca Can Call he had enlisted in the tM Arizona nat natI nal guard ard in 1913 and was commisSioned commissioned com corn when wIlen ie le went vent to the tho in 1916 lIe He was in charge of prison grison farm No 2 from October 31 to December of the same year i wast 1 V hale in command of the prison he was directly responsible to Colonel i Grinstead to whom he reported and who who visited the tha th farm at least three or talon fou times a week When Smith was tak taken n before a on charges of he was sentenced to three years yeah eats s Imprisonment but the term later wa was was- wass reduced to eighteen months lIe He wa broUght back from France nce recently an and andl taken to the disciplinary barracks at Ft t Jay Governors Governor's island ST STRONG ONG MAKES DENIAL SAN FRANCISCO July 29 29 Denial of charges h by Lieutenant Frank FrankC C C. II before a a. ho house hous sub subcommittee in New york that he res responsible for the was alleged cruel treatment treat treat- ment nt of r AmerIcan soldiers at t farm No 2 near Paris was made prison here today by l General Frederick S S. Strong commander of the south coas coast artillery artiller district I was a hundred miles from the farmand farm farmand farmand and had absolutely nothing to do with the treatment of the prisoners there General Strong said He lie declined o ot of enlarge on the statement saying he did die not wish to engage In a controversy with Smith while Smiths Smith's activities were being investigated General Strong commanded the Fortieth division at Camp Kearny Cal and overseas |
