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

Attorney Received Dis
charge From Army at
Washington, D. c., Where
He Was Reviewing Cases
in the Office of the Judge
Advocate General.

0AA4Ody hight IIOIA "dS1llllS LOll, ~ ~
where he served v months in the
judge advocate generals office in the
review Of court martial sentences
made during the war, has granted The
Herald q comprehensive interview on
the court martial system and the
work accomplished in reviewing cases.
Major Bangs has received his dis
charge from the service and will i'm
mediately take up his legal practice
here and his duties as city attorney,
relieving his partner, Attorney Geo. r..
Robbins, who has been acting city at
torney during his absence.
Court Martial System.
In speaking of the court martial this
morning, Major Bangs said:
1.-THE court martial is not a modern
fnvention; the court martial has been
in existence, in some form or another,
mics or "a exercised the power of
communities or nations with armed
forces:
The court martial system compris-
es the tribunals administering the mn
itary laws in the army or over the
military forces mi those connected
Herewith.
Like all systems of administering
justice the court martial system is jus,
dS 6VOo dIiO HO VCllSE I1lAll TIE H1CL
who administer it: a bad nan or a
corrupt politician who becomes a
judge of a civil court is not thereby
changed a particle but remains a bad
man and a corrupt politician to whom
has been entrusted additional powers
for perversion; the same is true as tc
courts martial. There is no legitimate
complaint to be made on the result
attained by the courts martial when ir
the hands of competent and experienc.
ed officers, but when, as was newt.
able, thoughtless, careless men with,
out experience were entrusted with
the duties pertaining to courts mar
tial. many mistakes were made.
Like all human devices, there is
room for improvement in the courts
martial: the day has not yet arrived
for perfection in any instrument ere.
ated or devised by man.
Immense Problem.
when we contemplate the disturb,
ance wrought in all the relations OF
| life, business, social, religious, politi'
cal and otherwise by the great war, We
can appreciate to some extent the
problems that confronted the officer:
who had the responsibility Of admins
tering justice in the army; the system
was devised for the needs of perhap:
| a quarter Oh u "AlUOu men ana Suu0eu'
; ly had thrust upon it the duty to ad,
minister justice over almost 20 time:
that number: there was no possibilit!
of prior preparation. and taking int
! consideration all of these things, I be
lieve the sober sense of the countr,
will, when fully informed, approx
quite thoroughly of the results attain
| ed.
Disciplinary System.
The court martial system is devised
for disciplinary purposes, quick acto,
must be had. 1t is like, more thai
anything else, the discipline imposed
by a parent upon the child for wrong
doing: it must be prompt and effici
ent; delays cannot be tolerated; it j
more important that prompt action b.
had thai that absolute justice shoul'
be attained. although the latter is al
ways intended: when armies are melt
ing away before the enemy it is N
time TO be tolerant of desertes or mel
absent v..hout leave and the chic
complaints of courts martial are baset
upon the sentences imposed for thes
offenses: it is said that one American
army had diminished to approximate
Iy 40 per cent of its fighting strength
through these two causes, just abou
the time Of the last great o~ffenses.
+ Sentences imposed by courts mar
tial for the civil crimes, such as lar