The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-07-07
Towers of. Steel
by CHARLES JOHNSON POST in Harper's Weekly.)

N''hiS Wuo boyCotteu III many |
Army and Navy Clubs. No sensible
answer was made to Mr.. Post. but
there was much foaming at the
mouth. He has now taken up the
Navy. What the Navy is actually
doing throws a good deal Of Ugh
On what the Army ought to do.)
How about the Navy? Is it eff
Client? Is it up to date? Is it just
Or is it bungling like the Army? In
the Army series l criticised the court
martial system and tried to show
that the administration of justice in
the Army is archaic; that it tends to
foster favoritism an injustice, that
the couIt-martial, as a single court
of original and final jurisdiction with
ont appeal, is inadequate; that the re
view by the Army department or the
Judge advocates office is SO perfume
tory, except in case of an official, that
it gives no guarantee of legal justice.
was interested to know how this
same matter was cared for in the
Navy. | went down to Washington to
make d study of conditions in that de-
partment. The step across the hall in
the Army and Navy building is a hun
dred feet perhaps. while at one end
tho two departments join on the same
floor But it is separated by much
more than "a hundred feet of hallway;
il is separated by many years.
It was in this central hallway, where
are the beautiful little models Of all
IF our types of battleships, hat I en-
countered accidentally the friend of a
very high official in the Navy Depart
ment. He had a little a%necdore.
He had met the high official one
day while the series of articles or the
Army was appearing.
Have o read that series on the
Army" he inquired.
Il have" returned the official.
sXGnlI' sold tho nthor Mo 9 n l.
but pe~rniciouslly probing, Il wonder il
that man will be down here next t
take up the Navy"
Well" returned the high officia'
promptly, IF we have things like that
IN the Navy | hope he does"
Interesting Comparison.
So a comparison between the court
martial methods OF administration
for both the Army and the Navy have
virtually the same SyStem-may l.;
interesting. In its disciplinary meth
DDS the Navy has been lightin : th'
way for the Army; the Army has bu
recently installed what is known &.
the detention barracks" system o
Imprisonment with a "disciplinar.
battalion" for offenses against discip
lire. The Navy adapted it from Eng
land over three years ago.
The Army is high in praise Of thi
step that it has but just taken. And
'ui icuS'y, tHS NAVY ID JUST HOW Sell
ously considering abolishing it an
substituting, as a punishment for tn
most serious disciplinary ~offenseS,
simple dismissal from the Navy. /
other words, the Navy is about to de
molish the system Of impris0ning me
even under modified forms Of pens
refOrm-because it is inefficient an
ineffective.
1t is interesting to compare tn
duties of the judge advocate geners
OF d court-martial in the Navy to the
obtaining in the Army. In the Arm
1T IS laid down in the Articles Of Wa
that the judge advocate 'shall prose
cute in the name of the United State
but when the prisoner has made h
plea, he shall SO far consider himSe
counSei FOR the prisoner as to Obje'
10 any leading question to any of tt
witnesses, and to any question TO pl
10 the prisoner, the answer of WIFI
might tend to incriminate himself.
This is the law of the Navy "A
ticleS for the Government of the Nav
Par. 745, sec. 4. Where the accused
without counsel, and especially Whe1
he is an ignorant or inexperienced e.
listed man, the judge advocate W.
properly render him, both in n o
OF court, such assistance as may
compatible with his primary duty
efficiently conducting the prosec
ton. But he will especially qua
against even suggesting that the a
cuSed plead guilty"
In the laws of the Navy, Paragral
bI states, 1.-The accused is entitled
counsel as a right, and the court C;
not properly deny the assistance of
professional or other adviser"
Regulations No P~erfunctOr-.
And this is no perfuncory reSul
ton. 1t is rigidly enforced. Ia
The case of James l.. Dormer, a &C
passer in the Navy who was on tr
before a courtmartial. He stated til
he desired counsel but had not be
able to obtain any, thereupon t
president of the court directed I
Judge advocate of the court to act
counsel for the accused. At the Ma
Department-or the Judge Advocs
of the Navy. who is in charge of I
Nays administration of justice;
tached this emphatic opinions: