Arizona republican., 1919-08-10

front in charge of machine gun An other, first sergeant in the Rainbow (42nd) division, had been wounded or gassed five times, went over the top the last time in charge of his company and was making his sixth trip to the front When we asked. for passes for these men to spend the evening with US in our billets, we were told by the c. O. that it was rotten but was against orders. loaned my town pass to the sergeant while I was on duty so he could visit with my bunkie, Sergeant Milligan, whom he had known in Ohio.
 There were many other instances too numerous to mention here.
 "The hospital evacuants were not separated from the other prisoners until some time after the armistice had been signed. This condition was before we arrived
 Ordered to Be Hard
 "Regardless of the statements Of General TuthiIl and his subordinates to the contrary, We were told that we would have to be hard with these men because they were bad and desparate characters. We were stopped on our hike from Vaes Torcey, where we de- trained to Noisiel and given a talk. We were told that the prisoners had heard that we were coming, and that they had made lot of bad threats as to what they were going to do to US. These orders most certainly were to treat 'em rough.' We were told the orders came from regimentaI headquarters and was up to us to straighten the prisoners out.
 EPnpral nth ovd vi stead did not know what was going on, as they claimed, it was their duty to know. We, as recruits under these two | officers, were taught that I don't know would never get us anything but trouble in this mans army.
 Why do these two men in face of the evidence at the court martial in France, and all the evidence gathered | by the investigating committee at | Washington, and their own personal acquaintance with Smith, still persist in defending him?
 "They say Smith was doing his duty, and in the same breath deny knowledge of his orders and the Hun methods known to have been employed at Farm No. 2.
 "After the casuals were segregated 1 from the A. W. o. L.s we were left in charge of them. Many of these men were the dregs of the whole A. E. F. who didn't want to go to the front or who had deserted from the front Others were A. W. o. L. simply to see Paris or other places of interest. Some were picked up no reason at all, while others were A. W. O. L. through acci- dent, such as missing train or losing a pass.
 'All of them were sent as one class A. W. O. L. It was impossible for us to distinguish between them and we were to treat them all the same according to orders. Practically none could be called dangerous except to those who mistreated them or were responsible l for their mistreatment.
 When the N. c. Os of Companies l. and l sized up the prisoners and con- ditions we talked things over among ourselves. Things looked bad for us but we decided we would go to jail for disobeying orders rather than employ Boche methods. Our own officers Captain Haupt, of Company L and Captain Habie of Company l, were men Americans, as well as efficient officers and all they expected of us was that discipline be maintained. Rigid dis cipline was maintained in our Brig al all times but not single prisoner wal beaten up or robbed. They gave us nc serious trouble.
 Still General Pershing and Genera Tuth1l have stated that these 'des- perate characters could not be handled this way.
 Many prisoners were transferred tc us from Farm No. and all said theil money and valuables had been taker from them at the farm and not re. turned.
 Marines Hardboiled Too
 Farm No 2, every bit as bad as ha, been claimed, was no comparison to thu versions I heard of St. Annes Brig ir Paris as handled by the 30th marines when we got as prisoners men wht had belonged to the 30th marines ", had to keep them separate from tn, other prisoners or they would hay, been killed.
 Proof that those higher up mean us to treat the prisoners rough was tb, fact that the 18th was short of me, to do work many casuals were at tached or assigned to the companie for prison work. If a casual shove, an inclination to be 'hardboiled' he wa picked as a good man and assigned For example, One Round Riley. as signed to Company l. because of hi supposed fistic abilities, and for som reason changed to our way of thinking Sergeant Simmons was another as signed to Company L and later place, under arrest by myself and sent bacl to his own company to be tried for de sertion under fire. Another was Ser geant Peterson, born in Germany, as signed to Company L because he wa seen by an officer to hit a prisoner il line the day we arrived at Noisiel H soon asked to be transferred (for per fectly good reasons)
 "Bombproofers" Gave Trouble
 These men were called Bombproof CTS because most of them did not wan to return to the front and would carr out any order to hold their jobs. The gave us more trouble than the prison ers-at first.
 " "Of all the prisons the 18th ha