New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-04-15
CHAPLAIN EXPOSED
AS PRO~GERMAN
Captain Feinler, Sent Home by
PerShing, Court artialled

New York, April 15--Captain Franz
j. Feinler, L. S. A, the German born
army Chaplain, who went to France
with one of the regular army regi-
ments and was returned to this coun-
try by order of General Pershine be-
cause of his alleged pro- G erman view
has been cOurt-martialed at Honolu-
lu on Is specifications, which involve
uttcring reasonable statements and
carrying on active propa ganda In fav-
or of the enemy. He IS also charged
with uttering "di&respectlul and con-
temptuous' language against the
President, the Secretary of War, and
his military superiors at Honolulu.
Chaplain Feilner was returned to
the United States on the same vessel
as David a. Uenkes the former reg
j ular army Captain who was recently
! sentenced by q Governors Island
court-martial to serve q years in the
military prison at Leavenworth be-
cause of his seditious activities.
When Chaplain Fein1er arrived
back In the United States it was de-
, c1ded not to cOuTt-marttal him. but
! to transfer him to Honolulu for duty.
1t was supposed that he had learned
q lesson and that he would at least
refrain from expressing PROC erman
sentiments. FROM the evidence pro-
| duced at the court it appears
that the Chaplain had been in Homo
| lulu only a short time when he began
to express his views and to give GER
tain advice to enlisted men which was
of Il nature not tending to the main
tenance of discipline or loyalty in the
subject.
The witnesses against Feinler in
cfudc CAPTAIN Frank ]. Doughcrtv,
Captain Herbert e. Wescott, Dr. JAS
r. Judd. q Honolulu physician: Mrs.
J. r.. Warren. J. H Soper Sergeant
Major John Wright, Z. S. A: Lieu
tenant Eben S. Cushingham, Quarter
master Sergeant and Mrs. Frederick
r. Shaw, and several civilian wit
nesses.
Here are some Of the remarks
which it is charged Feinler uttered
and on which he is now facing an
army court:
you must remember how this
country Joined hands with England at
the outbreak of the war, and at the
very same time that Wilson said the
country was neutral"
Criticizcs Baker and Daniels.
"They have one man (Baker) at the
head Of the army and another at the
head of the navy (Daniels) who can
not run their own affairs, and GER
tainly cannot run the affairs of the
GOVernm
you don't want to believe all you
have read about the wonderful fight
ing spirit of the French soldier. IF it
were not for the firing squads in the
! French army they would have few
men on the firing line"
| The court-nlartial specifications also
| allcge that Feinler said that the Brit
! ish press never printed how the Bel
| gian women poured hot water on the
! poor German troops; that Amerf-
| can troops treated the FilipinOs In
! the same manner as the Germans
| treated the BelgianS; that the Amer1-
can troops in France are always
drunk, and that he had heard an
American Major in France say that
unless a scafold was built or few
firing squads organized to suppress
crime among the troops under Gen
! eral Pershing he would quit the army.
Fcinler is also alleged to have said
''the way the American army is han
| died in France is a fo6e."
The Army and Navy Register OF
| Washington prints five columns Of the
testimony given at the trial of Chap
| lain Feinler
The testimony of Sergeant Major
! Wright, as reported, is among the
| most interesting offered.