Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-04-04
MARTIAL
COM ROvERSY IS
OPENED AF resi-
Baker Says ChamberIain'S
Speech VERY Incorporate
AnselI Letter Published in
New York Paper,
az MORNING Jous.At SPECIAL tsAsr~ Wire,

't5T MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEAsE~ WiRGl
Washington, April 3.-COmmentin5
on what he termed the very intem-
perate speech of Senator Chamber
lain, retiring chairman of the senate
military committee delivered recently
at Natchez, Miss, in connection with
the Ansell-Crowder court martial
controversy, Secretary Baker said to-
day that in three years as secretary
of war he could not recall single
instance in which he had received a
helpful suggestion from Senator
Chamberlain or one which seemed in
tended to be helpful.
Il am perfectly willing" the secre-
tary said, ito let the people of the
country to decide between what the
war department has done in three
years and what Senator Chamberlain
has said in three years.
Discussion of the controversy in
volving Lieutenant Colonel Samuel
7. Ansell, formerly acting judge ad-
voeate general. and Judge Advocate
General Crowder and their respective
views of the necessity for revising
the army's system of justice, was re-
vived today by Senator Chamberla MS
speech and by the publication in a
New York newspaper of the letter of
Colonel Ansell to Secretary Baker
which the secretary recently refused
to make public on the ground that ii
would not be helpful
Senator Chamberlain recently de-
manded that the Ansell letter he CIV
en- the same publicity as had been
given one from General CroWder of
Secretary Baker, thereby reinforcing,
it now develops, an urgent request
made in the letter itself.
Publication of the letter shows that
Colonel Ahsell, replying to state
ments by General Crowder. bluntly as
serted that responsibility for any NAL
administration in the office of the
Judge advocate general must be To-
Gated first upon the secretary Of war
He charged that General CroWder
first agreed with him in regard to
the powers of his office but after he
'nH taken to task by Secretary Baker
aid, "Ansell. I had to go back on
YOU. ] am sorry. but it was necessary,
to do it in order to save my official
reputation"
Colonel Ansell reviewing the whole
controversy and attacking the state
ment of General Crowder as a "deX-
ferrous effort to divert public atten-
ton from the system of injustice
winch ne ueISn0S, virtually made
the charge recently made by Senator
Chamberlain, that Secretary Raker
and General Crowder were not act
ing in good faith when they sent to
congress some time ago a bill TO re-
wise court marital procedure. He said
the secretary had refused to accept
his opinion that power already exist
ed for reviewing sentences and cor
recting injustices, and that the bin
sent to congress was not a bona fide
proposal to correct existing evils.
OF the present system, the letter
said: f.n
Il say the system does not do jus
tice. 1t does iniustice-gross, ter
rible, spirit crushing Injustice. Evil
7ence of it is on every hand to those
who will but see. The records of this
office reek with it. The organization
of the clemency board now sitting
daily and dailv recommending Glenn
ency in a hundred cases. is a confess
sion of it. Clemencv, however, can
never efface the injustice done. In
NV judgment the army will never
hold the place it ought to hold in the
faith and affection of our people un-
til the machinery for doing military
justice be humanized."