New Britain herald., 1919-07-30
Men Beaten, Hospital Pa tients Abused and Long Terms of Imprisonment For Minor Offenses.

New York, July 30.--The congress slonal subcommittee Investigating the disciplinary system of the American expeditonary force today transferred it's hearings to an uptown hotel from Governors Island, where yesterday the committeeman listened to scores of tales of cruelty to American sol diers While confined in prison camps in France. Representative Royal C. Johnson of South Dakota intimated that the forth coming testimony would be even more sensational than the stories told by Lieut.. "Hardb boiled' Smith and Sergeant Clarence E. Ball, who are serving sentences at the "cas- tle' on Governors Island on convic- tion by courts martial of cruelty to prisoners under their charge at Farm No. ?.
 To Bring Charges.
 The men "higher up'' who were di- rectly charged by witnesses with re- sponsibility for the prison conditions included Brig. cen. w. W. Harts, for n4er commander of the American troops in the Paris district; Maj. Gen. Frederick Smith Strong of the 10th division, Col. Edgar Grinstead,' com- mander of the 158th infantry, and Col. J. s. Maui of the field artillery. A number of captains and ieutenantS also were named as having taken an actual part in the brutal treatm ent of the prisoners.
 At the close of the hearing Repre- sentative Johnson, who is chairman of the b-cOmmittee, announced that all cases in which charges were made would be placed before the inspector general of the American army and every effort made to bring the guilty men to punishment.
 After Those Higher Up."
 Prom the. evidence before the committed said MT. Johnson, 'it seems clear to us that while ser geants and lieutenants were punished, they were merely the scapegoats of higher officers. We want to discover who were the men higher up,' and we will do everything in our power to see that they are brought to trial. It is apparent that this was not a case of brutality in an individual prison, but that similar conditions existed in practically all the prisons in France
 The principal witness at the hear ing yesterday was Col. T. Q. Donald son of the inspector generals depart ment who made an official investiga- tiOn of the prisons after the first charges of brutality were made public. Under close questioning by Represen- tatiVe Bland and with obvious rel%c- tance, Col. Donaldson admitted that responsibility for the conditions in the Paris prisons, concerning which som of the most sensational charges of brutality have been made, must be laid to Gen. Harts. He was then ques- ch o,>r,1x t~ %I,o Col. Grinstead, who had been in charge of farm No. }, had never been brought to trial, although Col Don aldson, in his report, had recommend ed his court-martial for neglect of duty.
 Not Because of Rank.
 ''Is it possible asked MT. Bland. "that high officers took the position that they would not convict a' man of the rank of colonel?"
 "Oh, mo-"
 And that they had good goat in the person of 'Hardboiled' Smith D. Il have rothng to say about that" Do you know of any reason" per- sisted MT. Bland, "Why Col Grinstead should not have been brought to trial?"
 "I suppose the superior officers had some good reason," replied the wit ness.
 Tt is a serious reflection on the American expeditionary fcrce," com mented MT. Bland. If a sentry goes to sleep on duty he is shot but if an officer goes to sleep on duty and hun dreds of boys are beaten up, he is given an honorable discharge" MT. Bland then asked the witness if the fact that Col. Grimstead came from Phoenix, Ariz., that Hard boiled Smith came from the same town and that the two were intimate did not suggest that Smith had been