Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1919-04-24
ANSE[L At TTACkS
ARMY TRIALS AS
PARTIAL To RANK.
on Contrary,
Sees Civil Courts
Copying System.
CONVICT 81 P. c. OF MEN,
ONLY 80 P. c. OFFICERS

Washington, April 2s.-The radical
difference of opinion that exists not
only in military circles, but among law
yers. as to the present system Of mill
fary justice. was brot out, today before
the committee Of the American Bar as
sociation in the following views present
ed by Lieut.. Col. Samuel T. Ansell. the
officer of the regular army who is chief
assa1iant of the system. and Colonel
John Wigtnore, temporary officer and
WIDELY known as a student of law in
CIVIL life. but the most active defender
OF the present system in the absence of
Major General Crowder.e judge advocate
general.
The courtmartial system does not
need more iaW. but more facts" Colonel
Wlgmore asserted. urging that amend
ment of the present system to insure
perfectly fearless counsel for the ar
cused" to bring out the facts would
go far toward remedying such defects
as had been discussed.
Civil or Military Issue.
There is a feeling that hv putting
IN more technical law We will get more
justice" he added. Il do not believe
that"
Colonel Ansell, resuming his arsa-
ment. which Will not lie concludes for
another day, defined the real issue as
the question:
Whether military justice is going to
be conducted by hard and fast military
rules, or is It going to take on an as
pect Of civil justice:"
If we had had legal control from the
beginning OF the proceedings he assert
ed after displaying charts showing the
IN OF ~
advocate generals office to correct er-
rors, we would have had no use for
this great ~revisory machinery at the
top"
Wigmore Says It's Advanced.
Colonel Wigmore took direct issue
with the statements made By Senator
Chamberlain and Colonel AnseH. He
quoted speech made by Mr.. Chamber
lain on the floor of the senate which
declared that the army courtmartial sys-
tenn represented neither system of JUS
uee nor a system of law
IF any man, after any rational in
quiry whatever, holds to that view"
Colone1 Wigmore declared, 'she is hone
less"
Similarly he challenged Colonel An
sells frequently repeated charge that
the military justice system is archaic
ciar there are points in the armv svs
tenn so advanced and modern that men
IN evil practice only dream af the aav
len they will be applied in civil courts.
What Statistics Show.
Colonel Ansen announced. TO-DAY ),
aetalied discussion, changes in the law
ne described as necessary to ACCOMPLISH
his main purpose of divorcing the legal
aspects Of the army completely from ths
'sslhllity of military domination. He
reiterated figures TO show that 81 ner
cent OF the enlisted men hroe to trial
Eere convicted.
Either this is most unhusnanlv ne-.
feet machine" he said, .or a rnost un-
unjust one"
About so per cent of the officers tried
are convicted. Colonel Ansen added but
continued:
'Of course, people in the armv arr
not gong around eonvicting enlisted men
because they are enlisted men and ae
quitting officers because they are off
sers. That is not true. but We do know
hat the officers get better trials
The records of the clemency board.
u which he is the head. Colonel AnSen
said. show that s. per cent Of the cases
reviewed were not well tried and that 70
Der cent were poorly tried