The Topeka state journal., 1919-11-04
BAKER IS ON GRILL
Secretary of War Faced Guns in
Senate Today.
Appears in Defense of Army'S
Court Martial.

Washington, Nov. 4-Secretary
Baker and Senator Chamberlain. Dem
ocrat. Oregon, former chairman of the
senate military committee, clashed
Sharply today at a hearing of a sub
committee dealing with the military
justice controversy.
Whenever an inferior officer gets
into a disagreement with his superior.
he is likely to get the axe very sud-
denly" Senator Chamberlain declared.
That isn't a fact" Secretary Baker
said.
But I say it is" Senator Cham
berIain responded We know it up
here
>"Of course" Mr.. Baker said. when
an officer comes up to congressional
committees and says things that are
independent of department views, you
class anything that happens to him
after as punishment"
Take your own actions" said Sen
ator Chamberlain.
What did you do to General Keniy
for his air craft statements up here ?'
He was not disciplined Seere-
tary Baker returned.
mo, you don't call it discipline, ;"
Senator Chamberlain remarked. What
happened to Ansell? (former judge
advocate generaD. You put him in
duced him in rank"
II did that" Mr.. Baker replied.
He was not only disaEreeing with his
superior. he was slandering him.
Yes and what became of Adjutant
General Mccain, when he thought his
office ought not to go under the gen.
eral staff?" asked Senator Chamber
lain.
Gave Mccain a Chance.
'I gave him the opportunity to
command a division in the field. the
hearts desire of every soldier" Mr..
Baker said
Yes. but did he ask to be re-
lieved?" Senator Chamberlain per-
sisted.
He'd never had anything but office
experience. confess that I did not
know his military record" Mr.. Baker
said. Il thought he had commanded
troops"
Senator Chamberlain named other
officers of lower rank and the secre-
tary conceded that some of them had
been denoted and transferred.
When a man can't get along with
his chief he ought to get out of the
service" the secretary concluded. "un-
less his chief is wrong. and then you
ought to change the chief"
Baker in Opposition.
The coIamittee was considering a
bill drawn by Senator Chamberlain to
carry out recommendations by AnselI
as to changes in the army court mar
opposition to the proposal to create a
military appellate court on the ground
that it would make army legal ma
chiaery too inflexible in war times.
however desirable it might be in peace
times.
II do not believe" he said, that
a system ought to be established in
peace which could not be maintained
in war"
Beginning his examination of the
| Iaa = Iai led
attention to the cases of four privates
condemned to death in France for
sleeping on post or disobeying orders.
but pardoned by President Wilson.
General Ansen's statement that he
had anything to do with influencing
my action in connection with that had
no basis in fact" Mr.. Baker declared.
The secretary told in detail of the
recommendations by Generals Perish
ing, March and Bullard that the SEN
tence be executed was concurred in by
Major General Crowder, judge advo-
! cate general. Later he said, Cen
eral Crowder had expressed to him
grave doubt as to whether the SEN
ttences ought to be carried out.
Secretary Baker defended the army's S
system of court martial.
In response to questions by the COM
Rittee, Baker declared that "in the
| main" he felt satisfied that justice was
done in the matter of court martial
trials during the war and upheld the
action of General Pershing in the exc
cution of offenders for violation of
civil laws in France.