Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-07-30
Forthcoming Testimony Will
Be Even More Sensational
Than Stories Told by Lieut..
''Hardboiled" Smith
RANKING OFFICERS
HELD RESPONSIBLE
SubordinateS Declare Colonel
and Major General Respon-
sible For Inhuman Treat
ment Accorded Soldiers
By Associated Press.

NC" Olh, uly OO.- llC SUD-
committee of the House of Rep
resentatives headed by Royal c.
Johnson, of South Dakota,
which has been investigating
cruelties practiced upon prison
ers in American prison camps
abroad, turned its attention
here to-day to the destruction
of American Army property in
France under the direction Of
army officers. The first incident
taken up was the disposition of
100 airplanes at Colombes-les-
Bellies.
The first witness, Paul L. Lock-
wood. of Stamford, Conn, formerly
a lieutenant of aviation in the First
pursuit group, testified that upon
returning to America he met a num-
Der of his colleagues in Garden City
who told him that the planes had
been damaged and then burned. The
engines were chopped out, the wit
ness said his iniormers told him,
only the gas tanks and radiators be-
ing saved. The planes then were
thrown into. pile and burned.
While the fire was in progress arm
ed guards patrolled the vicinity to
prevent photographs being taken,
according to the witness, who esti-
mated that the salvaged parts were
worth about "15 cents each" Some
OF the machines, he had been told,
had been flown only 20 minutes.
Stories of Cruelty
Yesterday the committeeman
listened to stories of tales of
cruelty to American soldiers
while confined in prison camps III
France. Representative Royal C.
Johnson, of South Dakota, inti-
mated that the forthcoming test-
mony will be even more sensational
than the stories told by Lieutenant
"Hardboiled" Smith and Sergeant
Clarence E. Ball, who are serving
sentences at the castle on Gov
ernors Island on conviction by
courts-martial of cruelty to pris-
oners under their charge at Farm
No. 2.
In addition to Smith and Ball the
subcommittee also heard Joseph G..
Ryszelewski and Colonel T. Q. DON
aldson. Not only did they name
Colonel +. P. Grimstead of the
One Hundred and Fifty-eighth In
fantry, and Major General Freder-
ick S. Strong as being the officers
responsible for. conditions at Farm
No. 2, but they told of generally
brutal treatment accorded to pris-
oners in many other prisons in Va
rious parts of France.
Educate by Beating
Lieutenant Smith testified that
the conditions in other prisons were
worse than at Farm No. 2, where
he was in charge. He denied that
the men at Farm No. 2 were ever
struck by the guards except in one
instance. This, he testified, was
when Sergeant Ball slapped a man
who had misunderstood an order
BAH, on the other hand, declared
that Smith ordered all the sergeants
under him to educate the men" by
beating them.
Smith is serving an eighteen
months sentence and Ball a six
months sentence for their treat
ment of prisoners.
Inspector Astounded
Colonel Donaldson, who as an of
f1cer of the Inspector Generals De-
partment, Investigated the condi-
tlons at Farm No. 2, testified that
after he had considered all the eviS
dence he was absolutely astoundcd
that such conditions had exisIeC
in the place"
Colonel Donaldson outlined what
he had discovered. After giving ibe
details, he said: There is no 0ueso
ton in my mind that terrible brI-
talities were practiced." AS for tha
prisons in the Paris district, inchld-
ing the famous Bastile, Colonel Don
aldson admitted after close quos-
uonlng that the responsibility must
2e laid at the door of General W.
w. Harts, former commander of
the troops in the Paris district.