Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-27
COURTS-MARTIAL
FACE BAR PROBE
Baker Directs Lawyers
Committee to Inquire
Into Military Law
TO CORRECT INJUSTICE
Best Record for Dcmobiliza-
ton of Returned Soldiers
Is Forty-eight Hours

Washington, March 27.--FollowinE his
return to Washington yesterday, after
a seventeen day inspection tour which
took him and General PeytOn G. March.
chief of staff to the Pacific coast, Sec
rotary of war Baker has announced that
4 he has asked President Page, Of the
American Bar Association, to appoint
a committee of lawyers to investigate
the whole question of military law.
Secretary Baker announced that Mr.
Page had appointed as members of this
committee S. 5. Gregory. Of Chicago ::
Judge w. r. Bynum, of Greensboro, y.
c.: Martin Conboy. of New York city ;
Judge Andrew Jackson Bruce, Of Bis
marck. N H., and Colonel John HinCk
ley. of Baltimore
One of the first things Mr. Baker did
after returning to his office in the War
Department this afternoon was to con-
fer with Chairman Gregory and Judge
Bruce of this committee
To Furnish All Records
They came in to see me-" said Sec
retary Baker, ito say that they wanted
To go forward with their inquiry. I
placed General Krcger in Immediate
communication with them. and told him
TO produce all records for their inspec-
ton. | told them that I would send
any one connected with the War De
partment. civilian or military, to talk
with them at any time.
"As I understand their Junction. e
Z continued Mr.. Baker "and | do not want
to limit 1t by any description. what
they are asked to do by the Bar Asso-
citation, which acted at my request, is
to examine the whole quest ion Of sub
stantive and proCedural military law.
,-ip I. .;,,.r a.,
tions for improvements in either the
substantive law or the method If pro-
cedure. I told General <reger to place
every record of court rt-martial trials a {
their disposal and asked them to bring
to my attention any matter in connec-
tion with these trials which they be-
lieve to be in error"
Secretary Baker said he had found
the best record generally OF discharge
for men from overseas after their ar
rival In camps in the United States was
forty-eight hours The Secretary told
of one small camp where the men We're
released the same day Of arrival
and said that in none of the camps Wis
1ted did the period exceed six days.
Describes DemobiIization
Mr.. Baker gave a detailed >description
OF the processes of demobiliza ton. in
cluding the examination of each man by
from ten to thirteen doctors to deter
mine whether the men had suffered anv
Injurious physical effects by reason of
4 their service with the fighting forces
Mr.. Bakers plans for a visit to Europe
at an early date have not been changed
and he still hopes to sail some time
next month. He called attention how
ever, to reports from Paris that Presi.
dent Wilson might call special ses-
sion of Congress at an earlier date than
had been previously expected. and said
IL the session should be called sooner
than a late May or Juno date hereto
fore regarded as probable. It would
vitality affect his own plans, and he in
dicated that his European trip might be
abandoned in that case.