The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-28
|ANSELL FEARS PLOT
ON COURTS MARTIAL
American Bar Association Re-
port Is Protested by
Colonel.
ONLY WHAT HE EXPECTED
Tells Of Wires Laid to Retain
System That Is "Unjust to
u. s. Soldiers"
ssecssI Ds.peseA 10 TT. SUI.


specieI DespetcA 10 TIE SUE.
wAsHINgroN, July a7.--Lieut Colonel
Anseil. who resigned from the army re-
Gently. made public tonight protest
he has made to George T. Page. presi-
dent OF the American Bar Association,
against the report Of the special commit
tee Of the association appointed last
March at Secretary of War Bakers re-
quest to investigate the existing system
Of military Justice Colonel Ansell chal-
lenges the fairness and thoroughness OF
the inquiry.
10 dated July II. before he severed his
connection with the army. The protest
states that divided report has been
made by the Bar Association committee
against substantial legislative changes
in the army court-martial system. The
majority report was signed by Martin
Conboy of New York. Prof. Andrew A
Bruce OF Minneapolis and John Hinckley
Of Baltimore. Mr.. Ansell some time ago
fled with the committee a statement al
leging that Mr.. Conboy assumed his du-
ties with his mind forcciosed.'
Colonel Ansell regards the inquiry as
having been unfair and harmful instead
Of beneficial.
81 have learned on reliable author
ity." said Col. Ansell tonight, that
the special committee appointed last
March by the president of the Bar As
ISOLATION to inquire into the existing
system Of military Justice has reported
by divided committee against substan-
tial legislative changes. Messrs. Con-
boy. Hinckley and Bruce signed the ma
Jority report TO that effect, and Judge
Rynum and Judge Gregory. dissenting.
filed a minority report In which 1t Is
understood they advocated extensive
changes In accord with the principle that
military justice should be regulated by
law and not controlled by the power Of
military command.
Adverse Report Expected.
and modernixe the existing system have
never expected anything but an adverse
report. Tho personnel and the methods
of the committee left US no room to
hope for anything else. On April 21.
at my first opportunity. I appeared bo-
fore the committee and fled with them
a statement to show that Mr.. Conboy
came to his duties with his mind fore
closed, and asked that he disqualify
himself
THE hearing had proceeded but little
further when It became evident that Col.
Hinckley also was equally disqualified.
~ tax,a .tio hv hA q a
started with two Of its members stanch
adherents of the existing system.
The one sided character of the in
vestigation became more convincingly
revealed upon reading the minutes Of
the completed hearings. The commit
tee announced that 1t and the War
Department were working to the same
end.
Everybody knew that the depart
ment had publicly proclaimed that
there had been no injustice done by
courts-martial during the war and had
publicly declared It's entire faith in the
server saw that the department was
unsparingly using its great power to
maintain the system and to suppress all
opposition to It,
Its own board Of high ranking army
officers appointed to consider the sub
ject began by condemning any disposi-
ton within the department TO yield
ever so slightly to what II termed
the pressure of uninfromed opinion
The committee evidently shared or
reflected the views of the department
to a degree which, when understood,
must destroy all confidence In the re-
port.
Reading the minutes of the hear
ings so convinced me Of the unfairness
and unhelpfulness of the investiKat ton
that on July II / addressed the follow
ing letter TO the president of the nsso-
citation. which conveys my reasons for
requesting the executive committee to
decline to adopt the special commit
tees report"
Here is part of the text of Lieut.
Col Anselrs letter to the president of
the American Bar Association:
"Sir: This special inquiry was brought
about by the many complaints maCN dur
ing the war against the existing system
Of military Justice, and its purpose was.
of course. to scquaint the association
with the actual situation with respect TO
the administration of military Justice
and to put II in position to make an
effort to exert its influence toward a re-
form of the existing system of military
justice, II the investigation should re-
veal deficiencies calling for remedial leg
islation and II the association should see
At to take action.
THE minutes show that the committee
Immediately got In touch and conferred
freely with the authorities, who have
proclaimed the perfection of the present
system and decreed the punishment OF
those who opposed It but they did not
confer with any who disagreed with
those authorities, 70 far as known. The
minutes show that they conferred with
the Secretary OF War, the Chief of
Stafr, the Judge Advocate General of the
Army and the Acting Judge Advocate
General OF the Army, who had just been
brought here from France to sls..eysede
me so that the departmental view might
be impregnably maintained.
"All Of these officials are uncompromis-
ing advocates OF the existing system, and
two of them. the Secretary of War and
the Judge Advocate General of the Army,
are bitterly and personally resentfuI OF
the criticisms which / made of the exist
ing system in testifying before the SEN
ate Military Committee and for which I
was promptly punished by the Secretary
OF War by demotion and removal from
my office.