Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-03-10
EXPLAIN DIFFERENCES
Between GEN. CR0WDER
AND GEN, hHSELl

WASHINGTON, March 9.-DiffrenceS
between Major Gen. E. H. Crowder'
Judge advocate general, and Brigadier
Gen. Samual r. Ansell. former acting
Judge advocate, general, were OK
planned and the ordering of a thor
ough investigation by the inspector
general of the army into the whole
subject of the administration of mil
itary Justice during the war. was
disclosed in a letter from Gen. Crow
der to Secretary Baker, made public
today at the war department. Ac-
cofY1Danying Gen. CroWder'S letter
was one from Mr.. Baker asking the
judge advocate general for COM
plIete statement as to the operation
Of military justice. The secretary
wrote that his own acquaintance
with the facts convinced him tina.
the conditions implied by recent COM
plants do not exist and had not en-
listed. but that it was essential that
the families Of all those young men
who had a place in our magnificent
army should be treasured"
In reply Gen. Crowder made gen.
eral defense against recent criticisms
in Congress and elsewhere concerning
courts martial cases and charged
that Gen. Ansell. without his knoWl-
edge and consent, had submitted n
brief to Secretary Baker early in the
war urging a revision in the military
justice system
Gen. Crowder also said that about
The same time this brief was submit
ted, that Gen. Anse1l, without con-
sulting the secretary of war, obtain
cd an order from the chief of staff
appointing Ansell acting judge nd.
vocate general This was after ecu
Ansell had requested Gen. Crowdcr's
aid in getting such an order and had
been told by the latter to take the
matter up with Mr. Baker The or-
der was revoked by Secretary Baker
before II was published after General
trowder had called it to Mr.. Bakers
attention. Z
The judge advocate general said
the supposed controversy" between
himself and Gen. Ansell as to military
justice had been magnified since 1.-The
real issues and the only ones were
in differences of opinion as to wheth-
er the power to review and over-turn
executed verdicts Of general courts
martial existed and whether that
power should be exercised by the
iudge-advocate general or the presi-
dent.
Gen. Crowder held that there was
no authority for review under pre-
sent statutes and was sustained by
secretary Baker. Congress was then
asked to create that power. but failed
to act. Gen. Ansell insisted that such
power existed under the present STATE
ute and that it should be exercised By
the judge-advocate general and not
the president.
Turning to criticisms that the sem
fences of courts-maartial during the
war have been atrociously severe,
Gen. crowder wrote that this was not
a criticism of the system Of military
justice and not a criticism of his adj
ministration of the system.
1T is criticism he said Of the Of
ficers who imposed for instance. sem
fences of death for sentinels convict
ed Of sleeping. on posts. for. soldiers
wilfully and contumaciously refusing
to obey the direct orders Of their COM
mandng officers. and for desertiun in
time of war. and it is a. critiCsttn of
the Congress which authorized a
death penalty. in plain statutory
terms. to he assessed on convictions
for these effenses. ! do not mean to
say that, if criticism in this connec-
ton is due | am immune. am not
l agree with the statute. and shall de-
fend it. but l am not responsible for