Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-10

ffcient system may be firmly estab-
lished. Gen. Geothals' system was
one improvised to meet a crisis; and
he himself always said that it could
or nearly all of these officers expert
enced in foreign service assert that,
In order to make complete distribu
ton OF men and supplies, the Army
transportation service, including rail,
water and animal-drawn vehicles,
should also control the Motor Trans
port Corps.
AT the time of a recent disturbance
in the capital city the chief of stat
directed that battalion of troops b.
moved from nearby camp to the
scene of action. The chief Of the
railroad cars. A little later. when an
other detachment from the same camp
was to be moved, railroad cars were
not available. When recourse had t.
ne taken to motor trucks, orders were
issued for their use. not merely to
service. but to separate service of
the War OVERWHELMINGLY the
Motor Transport Corps. under the
division of operations Of the genera
stan. They further assert that the
purchase and storage of all standard
should be consolidated in the Quar-
termaster Corps purchase and stor.
age service), and that all Army
finance should be continued in the
finance service.
Their conclusions seem to be that
IN principle the system introduced by
Gen. Cocktails should be continued,
and that the purchasing, storage,
transportation and financial services
should continue as. operating divi-
sions. or bureaus, under the super
VISION OF the general staff. retaining
! a q cob
the other bureaus. but with such ad-
Justments between them as will make
Tor the best interests of Army adj
ministration.
; There has existed for some time
misconception Of the duties and func-
= tons of the
Director Of Purchase, director of.
Storage and Traffic. r,a,a : : 80 :,
traffic, assistant chief of staff, in that
he Is generally credited with being
chief Of consolidated supply service
division" On the contrary under the
order creating his office he has only
supervision and co-ordinating power
over the operating supply services ana
bureaus AS an assistant chief Of staff,
he may approve or disapproye their
actions in the same manner as that i
officer would; but he is responsible to
his chief for such action.
In dealing with the directors of the
supply services and bureaus Mai Gen.
George w. Burr the director has given !,
out as his policy that he will give to
the chief of each bureau and service
responsible RESI-, for Army supply all the
job. He will conflne the activities Of
his own division to assist in the
coordination and supervision of the
activities OF the bureaus and services
In the performance Of their interre-
lated tasks.
This was the attitude of Gen. Goe-
thals on the same subject. The posi- !
ton is sound and consistent: lbut at
draw the line between the acceptance
or advice and obedience to an order
great experience have expressed greater
or less de- |
Is It the System or gree of con- !
the Administration ~ sx.,.na /
waich has measured out military justice
to the of1cers and men Of the Army,
and at same time are severe In their |
condemnation of the manner in which /
those charged with its administration |
have carried out their duty. t
There are few who will have the
Eardihood to question the second part |
OF their conclusion, for the record of
convictions is SO filled with miscar-
rfages OF Justice, with harsh and unrea-
s0nable sentences for offenses trivial in
themselves that eourts-martial, in the
soning fairly and reaching their conciu-
sfons calmly. have failed to measure
out Justice with an even hand. Some
omcers go SO far as to say that the OBJ
1ect OF q court martial is not to secure
Justice. but discipline. However, it is
impossible to find an officer who viii
agree with the corollary Of that PROPOSE .
ton that good discipline and morale can ,
be furthered by any practice which is ,
Beyond the shadow of doubt a great !
part Of the injustice and consequent :
cruelty which followed the Army sys- i
tenn OF administering justice did result !
from the. incompetency OF officers to |!
dispose justly OF the cases before them ,
for trial 1t could not be otherwise. |
They were for the most part very young !
and almost wholly without experiences.
They regarded court-martial duty as
irksome. The younger officers had
small conception of the best way to !,
handle raw men. and unfortunately some !;
of those OF the old Army, where few
men except hardened offenders ever
were brought to trial, had the idea that
the mere fact that officers have prefer !.
red charges is prima facie evidence Of !,
guilt and that traditional harshness Is !,
the way to deal with. such offenders. /
Whatever the cause, 1t is now certain |
that many Of the trials were more or |
less farcical and that in many instances |
all principles of legal Justice were over |
ridden in the course Of the trial
All these things could have taken |
place under the best system that human |
intelligence can devise: but it Is also |
true that the Anticipated code of pro-
cedure contributed its share to the /!
travesties upon judicial trials.
The fault with the system seems to
be that the creation of the court. the !
selection Of its members. the review Of
its proceedings and the approval Of its |
findings and sentence are all vested in [
the one person. The members have |
nothing to fear for their failure In the |
conduct Of the trial or Of any Of the
proceedings before or after the court |
rises. 1t is not to be assumed that a
large percentage Of the officers Of any
court willingly consented to an act Of
injustice, but many acts that resulted
in injustice got by. that would not |
couFt-martial had realized that his ac-
ton was subject to review by q dispas-
sionate authority which could in turn !
measure out to him severe condemna-
ton for any failure to render substan-
tial justice in a legal way.
istraticn Of military Justice under the
present military code that might be
changed, but the staring question Ii
whether fair trials can be reached. even