Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-11-03

cenies, Nburglaries, etc, approximate
those imposed by the civil court and
there is no reasonable criticism TO be
made thereof. A nan is a thief whe.:
he steals in the army just h same as
though he stole in civil life and Is and
should be punished the same.
For the military offenses the gem
we're; this was for disciplinary purpos-
es and with the implied understanding
that such sentences should be correct
ed after the necessity had expired for
the example created thereby.
Oemency Board Work. !
j THE armistice had hardly been
signed before the judge advocate gen.
erals department took upsthe question
of correcting these sentences spe-
cial clemency board was created of
six members divided into three sec
tons; the membership was drawn
from all owe the United States; one
member had been a judge in the Phil
ippines, another the judge of the So
preme court of a state; all had had
wide n varied civil experiences; L
was appointed al a member of the
fourth section when the board was
increased to eight members, and was
associated with a lawyer from Indiana;
this board examined, the courts mar
tia sentences imposed during the var
and, disregarding all t~echnic2lities or
questions of legality, the boards adj
| ministered justice upon a peace, time
basis without reference in any way to
war conditions OF the sentences actu-
ally imposed; in addition, all of these
records were paSsed~upon from q legal
standpoint by other boards to deter
mine the legality of the proceedings,
it could be likened to an automatic
! appeal upon two grounds, first, as to
the justice of the sentence Independent
of the legal phases, and, second. as
to the legal questions. and il for any
reason the sentence was Illegal, it was
set aside and the soldier restored to
duty.
Civil IAvvyes Needed.
There are many places for improve
ment in the courts martial; 1 think
the injection into the personnel of the
large number Of civil lawyers has had
a splendid effect and I think that ev-
cry effort should be made to increase
the number Of civil lawyers of high
have a great deal of patience with the
argument b a it requires q military
experience to administer military Jus
tice; on the contrary, I am rather In
! clined to think hat q military training
might possibly have the opposite ef-
feet
TT would be difficult to improve
the personnel of the judge advocates
department as it is at the present
time: of course my personal acquafn-
lance with the officers was necessarily
slight; I was there but seven months,
but it would be impossible to obtain
men of higher aims, purposes and
greater experience and ability then
men like General Kreger, Col. Reed,
and those who T associated with
them in administering military JUS
tice; General Crowder's record, of
course, speaks for itself and he is one
of the men in whom the nation takes
pride for the splendid services render
ed. 4. tRAkH9H
"Of the cruelties alleged to have
been committed by men like lizard
Boiled Smith," they did not come un-
der examination by our department,
so I can say nothing with respect
thereto: if there were such ~cruelties
committed they will be ferreted out
and punishment imposed"