The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-10-15
WAR DEPARTMENT THREATENS
 COURT MARTIAL FOR COL. ISBELL

Washington, Oct 15-The colonel of a New England National Guard regiment and the lieutenant colonel of a western National Guard regiment probably will be tried by court mar tial for cabling to the governors of their respective states that the New England regiment and the Western regiment had arrived in France. The colonel cabled his governor to give the widest publicity to the news.
 An investigation is being made by the War Department, and 1t was made known last night that the Navy De-, partment had begun an inquiry to ascertain why the American cable censors passed the two dispatches without notifying the authorities in Washington. It was from the New England governor that the depart ment learned of the colonefs cable gram,
 The War Department was concern ed when it learned last night that the governor of the New England state had given out the coloneIs message for publication. Officials were indfg- nant, because they had requested the governor not to give out the news. It was said that this request had been made by both the department and EGeorge Creel, Chairman of the Com ' mittee on Public Information. and | that the objections had been laid be- i fore the governor in the most posi- 1 tive way
 l The governor was told. it was said. l that when the commanding general of I the division to which the coloneFs regiment was attached learned of his action the colonel was likely to be de- l tached immediately and perhaps or dered to trial. Officials pointed out I that the New England regiment and t the Western regiment were in the federal service and were not in any way under the command of the gov I ernors of the states concerned.
 An official of the Committee or
 Public Information said: "You may quote this committee as saying thai i the War Department feels this matter l very keenly. Officials of the depart. 3 ment think the information should T not be published. The case of th<
 New England colonel is the mos
 fragrant case of the kind yet brough
 about to their attention. Instan and drastic action will be taken
 Why the Governor of the New Eng
 land State should have given out tn,
 
 troops in France in the face of thu
 emphatic request from the War De lpartrnent caused amazement amoni Iofficials. Some of them said that tn
 New England Governor was informed that the court martial of the Co1one
 Twas practically to follow the pubhca ition.
 The New England Governor ha' . brought. tEe matter. to the depart
 ment's attention, they said, and tn
 deduction was drawn from this tha
 he was doubtful of the propriety o
 giving the news to the press, One o
 the highest officers of the army, wh
 lis officially attached to the War De
 partment, said that the action of tn Colonel and the Lieutenant Colonel il
 sending the information, and partic
 ularTy the request for the Colonel tha the widest publicity be given to il
 was almost criminal
 The Navy Departments interest i
 the matter comes from the fact tha
 it has charge of the administration C the censorship over cable dispatches e The departments investigation ha g. not been completed, but officers sai .- laSt night that it was probable, ths j. the oensors had been misled into ibt
 lieying that, as the messages were a6 e dressed to Governors of States, the d were official and therefore not liaib ,+ to the censorship.
 = This. however, does not explain ho = the censors overlooked the reque .t that the news of the arrival of N, tionaI Guard troops in France be put '. lished. It is known throughout of q cial circles that the policy of the Co
 kernment is not to publish news of Il