Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-02-15
as later reduced to three ycrrs,
Eepa, tn,snt Feud shoNa,

/ VAS LATER reduced To three S"prS,
cepa. tn,snt Feua Shown.
/ Gen. AasSiis testimony ~ ~saI 80
/ llsht t,ad which has he.n ras.as 'd
4 the war department for ma0S moaths
over the powers Of the jad.c advocate
/ generals Office 10 review and modify
! findings Of SQUIRT martial.
| In one OF his briefs Gen. Ansell had
| charged the general stan with pro-
] fessional aDs1lutism" and called tne
| syStem an Inaehronis.n.'
What tinally forced the issuc-in the
war department over the powers al the
| Judge advocate generals unice IN
4 court martial cases Was the instance 90
twelve non commissioned Officers dis
! honorably DISCHARGED and sentenced TO
! IMPRISONMENT OF from three 10 serrh
| years each because Of "A minor dis
pute with a Young lieutenant just oul
! Of West Point, the general explained
| He declared the procedure In this case
| unfair"
DUO 10 an Old Statute.
| This case showed the extreme ne
cesslty for a thorough accumulation
of me pow ers o. my oni"e," the general
lsaid. He dug into musty volumes OF
old laws. he said. and found one THAI
suited his purpose. II Was enacted IN
! 1852 and had been used some time dur
ing the civil war, but there was al
ways q dispute about the judge aGEo,
cate generals powers. Gen, Ansell sad
| he used the authority under TINS o'a
! law 10 set aside the judgment OF the
court martial and restore the Twelve
! noncomm.ssIoned officers to duty.
! General Crowder, he explained, ala
not agrue with him in his !nterpTeta-
! ton of the law and the secretary
| backed up Gen, Crowaer. Although
| Gen. Anseu cited many authorities 10
! sustain his view, they held that the
authority Of the judge advocate gem
erals Office was limited 10 pointing
| out error and recommending clemencs
10 the converting authority Of the cour~
! martial.
The general told the committee thal
the Judge advocate generals Office was
| "fuli of strange Inconsistencies, ana
that its practices were Wllhout
| thoughtful consideration OF the law
| Board Of ctemeney an Issue.
| The board OF clenency, recent! APP
! pointed by the secretary Of war. was
! brought Up. General Ansel told the
committee its powers were Limited
! simply 70 eQuaiizing sentences !mposea
ny courts martial and did not eH|ehu
! 10 reviewing the justice or the 4esa'-
F. ity of the courts martial decisions.
| Senator Thomas. OF Colorado, re
| terred TO the board as the board lot
the modification Of military injustice.
| General Ansell stated that ne coulH
recall several instances where his rec
concentrations in court martial cases
we're turned down by the general stan
and the secretary OF war. The courts
martial. ne said, were dominated D
the commanding officer which con-
vened them.
Makers Of BoIshevism.
General AnseN related II cetal! the
case of a young soldier who went nome
without leave 10 see his dying fatheT'
He hurried back TO camp as soon as
his father died and was sentenced TO
death. The sentence was not CARED
out because Of executive clemency.
You should have court rnarualed
the court martial" said Senator Knox
The court martial could not see
the human facts behind that case,
General Ansell said.
What ever became Of that boy:
General Ansell was asked.
He did not know.
His mother probably has Joined the
bolshev!ki." said Senator Thomas.
And his father probably has. too.
in another world commented Senator
Frsling huysen.
Instances in France.
/ Most Of the instances Of injustice
occurred in the United States, hut the
general cited some from France, too
He told the committee the American
military Authorities in France were
dissatisfied with their powers in court
martial proceedings and wanted the
war department 10 enlarge the num-
bet Of cases under which the death
penalty could Dc inflicted without re
ference 10 Washington.
Two men in France were tried for
sleeping At the post Of duty. They
had been on duty all night for five
consecutive nights and could not sleep
in daytime because wood was being
chopped in their dugout for the COM
!, handing officers quarters. They were
sentenced TO death and were saved
only by the narrowest margin because
OF the insistence OF the military au-
thorities in France on carrying out
the sentence.
viii Call for Complete List.
; Two other men were sentenced to
death because they refused to obey
orders. One Of them refused to obey
. an order 10 shoulder his rife for drill
He declared he was physically unable
, 10 obey the order because of illness.