South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-03-12
REVISE METHODS
Of ADMINISTERING
MILITARY PRISONS
Government Responding to In
fluence Of ParOl and Honor
SyStemS-Amend Code of
Var Articles.
BY VICTOR ELLIOTT.

WASHINGTON. March 12.-Re-
spending to the influence OF the sub
sdtution or honor and parole systems
IN civil life for the correction rather
than the punishment OF criminals. the
United States army has now adopted
detention barracks system in place
or the military prison. The change,
supported by bureau heads IN the war
department, has been embodied IN a
bill recently passed by the senate pro-
viding for a complete revision OF the
articles OF war.
Under the revised articles the great
military prison at Ft. LeavenwOrth.
Kans.. "a 10 be Invested OF it's char
aOter as a military prison and receive
the character OF a military reforma-
tory or detention barracks. The pur-
pose Is TO give offenders sent there
training and discipline of such
character as 20 afford them an Op-
portunity for honorable restoration TO
duty with the colors or fit them to
become better citizens on their dis
charge from the institution.
The revised articles provide also
for the designation Of branch deten-
ton barracks 10 handle prisoners
who cannot conveniently be sent TO
TT. Leavenworth.
Can Extend System.
Secretary OF War Garrison and his
immediate advisers have become con-
vinced that If offenders found guilty
OF offenses punishable under the laws
OF the land by confinement in a peni-
Tertiary are sent to such institutions.
all other offenders convicted by mill
tary tribunals may properly be dealt
with under the detention barracks
system.
Provisions for the maintenance Of
"A military prison and branches there
Of is believed to be unnecessary" re-
ports the senate committee which
had the bill in charge before it was
acted upon by the senate.
At the same time that the army is
attempting TO keep step with modern
methods of dealing with offenders it
has frightened up the military system
OF procedure so that defendants may
procure speedier trials and quicker
disposition OF their cases than they
have sometimes been able TO obtain
under the old system. Officers who
in any way delay trials or the settle
ment of cases are made subject to
punishment.
Coincident with the effort to speed
up the machinery Of military justice.
the new articles give officers limited
power 10 dispense slight punishment
for minor Offenses without subjecting
soldiers to the delay and the humilia-
ton of a formal court martial. This
has been permitted under regulations
for some time but IL Is now lncOrpO-
rated I'm the articles Of war for the
first time
Articles of War Ancient
The articles Of war were stale with
age The United States army until
the final adoption Of the new code, is
under articles OF war laid down In
1906 The main structure Of the arti-
cles goes back TO an earlier date. The
British articles were taken over bodi-
Is by the continentals at the begin
ninr OF the revolution. subsequently
n fe1, changes were made in order
TO apply the articles of war of a mon
archy TO the different requirements
OF a constitutional republic. After
the close OF the revolution a few
changes were made which resulted in
a chrystalized code I'm 1906. num-
Der OF changes have been made from
time TO time since then but none of
these changes has claim TO be regard
ed as q genuine revision.
The new articles reduce the num-
Der Of capital Offenses in time OF
peace from FIVE 20 three and I'm war
from 10 10 u. Similarly the Offenses
enumerated have been collected an
der single heads so that articles are
much easier TO understand and adj
minister. Many obsolete sections
were eliminated