Bisbee daily review., 1918-04-23
WILSON FIGHTS .COURTMARTIAL
 FOR HUN SPIES
President Declares Measure Drawn Up by Chamberlain Unconstitutional; States Present Laws Sufficient
CRr Review I.ensed Mlrel

WASHINGTON. April 22.-What promised Co be a sensational fight in congress over the proposal to turn dis loyalty and espionage cases over to military court martial. was nipped in the Eud today by President Wilson. Champions of the plan abandoned the fight fol the present. at least, when Senator Overman of North Carolina. chairman of the judiciary committee, made public a letter from the presi- denJ in which he declared he was un- alterably in opposition to the Cham berldnl court martial bill as both un- necessary and unconstitutional.
 Senator Chamberlain of Oregon. au- thor of the measure. announced that in view of the presidents attitude he would not press the bill.
 eRfore the letter reached Senator Overman. Senator Brandgee of Con- necticut had brought the subject be- fore the senate with a resolution in- structing the judiciary committee to giye a formal opinion upon the legal ity of the bill, which he denounced as unconstitutional and containing "hein- ous" proposals.
 Want Army Trials
 Another feature of the days develop ment was the publication of letter from Attorney General Gregory to Representative Gordon of Ohio. re- pudiating the action of former Assist ant h.torney General Charles Warren of Boston, who drafted the Chamber lain bill and urged its passage. Mir. Gregory said MT. Warren acted with out his knowledge and that if he had known anything about the bill he would not have permitted it to go to congress from his department.
 NIT. Warren resigned last week. soon after the attorney general heard about his activities in connection with the proposed legislation.
 N illnesses before the senates mili- tary committee. including representa- tives Of various branches of the gov ernment have urged transfer of trials of various spies and disloyaltists from the civil court to the military courts as the only effective means of dealing with the menace and preventing a wave of mob rule violence.
 President Wilson's letter was writ ten il response to one from Senator Overman. asking his opinion on the Chamberlain bill.
 The presidents letter follows:
 My Dear Senator:
 Thank you for your letter of yes terday. I am heartily obliged to you for consulting me about the court mar tial hill. as perhaps I may call it for short. I am wholly and unalterably opposed to such legislation and very much value the opportunity you give me to say so. I think it is not only unconstitutional. but that in character it would put us nearly upon the level of tho very people we are fighting and affecting to dispise It would be alto gether inconsistent with the spirit and practice of America. and in view of the recent legislation the espionage bill. the sabotage bill and the spy bill. think it is unnecessary and uncalled for.
 Thanks Senator OVerman
 'J take the liberty. my dear senator. of expressing myself in this emphatic way. because my feeling is very deep about the matter as gather your own is
 ''It is admirable the way you have been handling these important bills. and I thank you with all my heart for standing by the bill which bears your name without any compromise of any kind
 Tt gives me the greatest satisfac- tiOn 10 tell you how much I have ap- preciated what you have been doing.
 Cordially and sincerely yours.
 WOODROW WILSON"