New Mexico state record., 1919-03-14
DEMOCRATS IN U. S.
SENATE EXPOSE
SECRETARY BAKER
CHAMBERLAIN LAYS BARE
FAILURES OF PAC1F1ST
WAR OFFICIAL WHICH RE.
SUITED IN DEATH AND
DISASTER TO SOLDIERS
(From Official Congressional Record
CONTINUED from Last Week.)

Continued from Last Week.)
Why Doesn't Baker Stop It?
Senator's am not blaming the
Secretary Of War for this. I blame
himi only to this extent: That a
word from him would stop such
practices.
These individual cases give the
human touch to conditions. and il
order to impress it upon the attcn-
tion Of the War Department. I am
Just going to call attention to tive
or three more as illustrative of what
IS in my mind. I am not going to
give the names Of the soldiers, e;ther.
A green country boy, 4 private in
the machine-gun company OF the
One Hundred and Fifty-sixth Infan.
trv. was tried and convicted Of the
charge of absence without leave
from Camp Beauregard from May
Q to May IS. 1919. That is SIX davi.
" was shown in evidence by the
prosecution that he had been not;-
fled of his selection for overseas
duty. The accused testified that he
went homo to see his mother. proba-
hly for the last tine. as she was IL
in a hospital. He was sentenced to
dishonorable discharge. total for
FIXTURES. and confinement at hard
labor for Is years in q disciplinary
barracks.
Now. Senators. I realize the neces.
s;ty of maintaining discipline. There
is not any question about that: but
in Gods name. could not . bov IKE
that have been punished .. little less
severely under the circumstances
than IS years in a prison, where his
lfe in the very nature Of things
must be ruined!
A similar case is that of a pri.
vate of Company D. One Hundred
and fifty fifth Infantry. who was
charged and convicted OF absence
without leave from May 9 to May
IS, lol8-the same period Of time
from Camp Beanrepard-the same
place-after notification of his selec-
ton for overseas duty 1t was shown
that the hov had gone home to his
folks IN Mississippi to tell them
rood-hv. He was sentenced to d -
honorable discharge, total forfei-
'rres, and IS years confinement It
hard labor in a disciplinary barracks.
Nou see, there is 10 years d fer
ence between the punishment meted
ont to these two young men in the
same place and for the same crime.
Thrc may be aggravated circum-
stances connected with them thnt
do not know anything about. hut |
, cannot conceive how it should
have been found necessary to have
inflicted such terribly severe punish-
ment. I can understand that If It
was on the battle front and boy
had left his post without leave his
punishment should be severe. even
to sentencing him to be shot.
Mr.. La Toilette. He returned vo-
UNFAIRLY. did he?
Mr.. Chamberlain. So I understand.
Now. take another case: A private
of Company M. Forty-ninth Imam
try, was convicted Of sleeping ~
his post at Camp Merritt. N. j., and
was sentenced to a d'shonorable dis.
charge, total forfeitures, and 10
years. confinement at hard labor in
disciplinary barracks. You see.
there is the same kind of a case,
and yet there are IS years discrep-
ancy between the punishment meted
out to the first soldier, where both
crimes committed were practically
the same.
Mr.. Watson. Did these men come
back of their own accord?
Mr.. Chamberlain. I am so inform
ed. II the Senator from Indiana
wants, will give him the names and
record, and l will give them to the
Secretary of War if he wants them
but l dislike to publish these cases
in the Record, so that the young
men may probably be discredited. be-
cause I hope that something will be
done to relieve many of these SEN
tences.
The commanding officers control
over the ourt-martial is such that he
may Suggest" the action which the
court should take.
1t is wholly repugnant to our ideas
of the administration OF criminal
law that anyone should have the
power to set aside a verdict of ac-
uuittai. Nevertheless, this is the
power of the commanding officer
over a court martial trial. He may
exercise this power not only IN the
case of military offenses but aisd
in the case of ordinary civil often
ses. as, for example. larceny COM
mit.ed by a soldier.
No Systsm For Demobil:zation
y, There is only one other matter that
I am going to discuss, and that is the
question Of rehabilitation. That II
a question we have had 4 good deal
of trouble about, and one concern M
which, I presume. every Senator hal
heen getting a great many letters
I am not one of those who believei
that we ought to hastily disorganizs
our Army. This war is not end.
ed yet. I hope that those who are
negot' atine peace terms will reach
a conclusion which will end it: bu'
at this time we are not at peace
I think we ought to move with soms
degree of care in the rehabilitation
: of the Army: and yet whether w
are moving quite as fast as we ought
am not prepared to say. That !!
military proposition. Now, wha,
object to and what l wait to call
the attention of the Secretary. ol
WAR to is the fact that the American
Army. both in France and here. dd
not know what to expect. They
ought to know-not only the Ameri'
can Army. but the American people
ought to know-just exactly whal
they are to expect in reference te
rehabilitation. We do not know.
Continued next week)
Old Extra-Wet Pennsylvania which
the vets claimed never would ga