The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-09
CHAMBERLAIN
DEMANDS TRIAL
OF BAKERS AID
Senator Charges Col. Wig
more Violated Franking
Privilege.
HE GOES TO PALMER
Says 10000 Letters Defend
ing Court-Martial System
Went to Lawyers.
REPLY TO HIS SPEECH
Sees Civil and Military Laws
Violated by "This Gross
. Abuse"
REPLY TO HIS SPEECH
SPECIAL Despatch to TnE Sun.

WASHINGTON. April S.-The fight
against the injustices OF the present
army court-martial system with Sem
ator Chamberlain tOre.). lately chair
man Of the Senate Military Committee,
and Lieut.-Col. Samuel T. Ansell at
tacking the Secretary OF War and some
| Of his officers defending It, took a new
angle to-day when Senator Chamber
lain demanded the punishment of Col.
John H. Wigmore for alleged violation
Of civil and military law. Col. Wig
more is assigned to the Office Of Judge
Advocate General of the army.
Senator Chamberlain took his CON-
plant straight TO the Attorney Gen
eral and TO the Postmaster General
He charged that Col. wigmore had had
printed at Government expense 10000
! communications Of a personal nature
and had franked them to various indi-
! viduals, most Of them members of the
bar, and had mailed them under the
frank of the War Industries Board.
The communications are obviously Of
a personal nature, Senator Chamber
lain declared.
Wigmore's Letter Enclosed.
The letter which Senator Chamberlain
| complained has as enclosure a communi-
cation from the Judge Advocate General
TO the Secretary Of War defending the
| court-martial system. The letter. the
| Senator said, was designed to be
| private reply to his spec ch in the Sem
ate January 3 attacking the court-mar-
! tial system. The Wigmore letter said
in pert.
1 In addressing YOU in this direct
fashion l am deliberately breaking
through the etiquette Of the mill
tary service vigorously observed by
me since my call to active duty in
July, 1917. | am on the point OF re-
ceivng my honorable discharge U
hope) within a few weeks and |
! speak to you in this letter not mere
ly as an officer of the army but also
as member OF the bar of thirty
years standing who has happened 10
have intimate observat ton Of the
methods of military justice. during
the war as we'll as OF the principal
ington.'
After declaring Il 10 be his purpose
10 speak out in defense OF the system,
re wrote:
Il therefore make this personal ap-
peal to my fellow members of the
bar to peruse the inclosed letter and
! to give due weight to its presenta-
ton
Senator Chamberlain said Col. Wig
more in private life is a professor OF
law. but that he was and still is an
officer Of the army.
Fears Baker VIII Not Act.
II regard his conduct as not only vo-
lative OF the statutes made to protect
the mails and the public treasury" said
Senator Chamberlain, but by reason OF
his criticisms of the proceedings before
the Senate Committee of myself and of
another officer OF the army / regard hi.
J conduct as unbecoming an officer OF
which the Secretary OF War should take
notice with a view to disciplinary ac-
ton. Frankly I do not expect the Sec.
} retary OF War to do his duty in this
regard.
col. Wigmore is one Of four or nve
} officers who formerly served in the now
defunct Office of the Provost Marshal
General but who are now being retained
In the service by the Secretary OF Wal
upon the recommendation OF the Judge
{ Advocate General to compile data in de-
fence of the court-martial system and tc
distribute them at public expense
, throughout the United States
Then Mr.. Chamberlain made what
i could only be construed as an answer
to the Secretary OF War. who became
enraged when the letter written him BY
4 Lieut.-Col. Ansell was published recently
: and spoke sharply of Lieut,-Col. Ansel
4 and Of Senator Chamberlain.
: THE Secretary Of War has way oi
8 saying that communications which, &c
4 his embarrassment. point out the de,
a f,ciencies OF the existing system of mill
= tary justice are not helpful" said Mr.
Continued on Fourth Pa0e.