Republican farmer., 1919-07-25

cers of the Expeditionary Force, all legged to have resulted in their tor sure death and suicide, James w. Beckman of this city. formerly a sergeant-major in the A. P. F., yes terday made public a letter he has sent Representative Frederick w Daiiinger in Washington urging that tho officers upon whom he says the responsibility lies, be brought to trial The charges have already been the subject of Congressional in- veetisation.
 T urge" says Beckman in his let ter, "that Bris-Gen. Hart, President Wilson's former aid and the officer in ohaarse of the militry administration of Paris. oe brought to trial on the charge of mnoiaughter, inasmuch as hR ts responsible for these crimes which were committed over period of a year or more under his com mnnd.
 "Aiso that Gen. Pershing be brought to trial for gross incompe- tsnce and negligence that amounts to artminality, because the crimes of the Paris Military Police were committed rfxht under his nose, and there is no eecnse or defense which he can make for not having known of them or
  cause similar atrocities were the rule d several other places in France.
 "rhs case against the military ad- mfrastration of Paris which I pre- aantod to you for your action and which has been proved through your patriotic efforts. and now admitted by the officers in charge. is only the first of a series of cases which I will pre- sent to you to bring before Congress. I have the evidence to prove each case as the first one was proved.
 'vserne of these cases involve Gen. Pershing directly and others indirectly as the commander in chief of the American hsxpeditonary Forces re- sponsible for tho hideous Prussian system which he permitted to develop in the American Exps3itionary Forces and disgrace the good name of Amer tcs and American democracy fin the eyes of the world"
 Assistance to the special committee of the House now Investigating all legged cruelties to soldiers at disci- binary barracks and prison farms in France. both before and after the ar mistice. was furnished yesterday by Lieut.. .-Co1. J. Leslie Kincafd, formerly Judge Advocate of the Twerfsy-sev- enth Division, who sent to Secretary Baker for the use of the committee a copy of a report made by himself and Lieut.. J.. Mayhew Wainwright. division inspector. Shortly after the Twenty-seventh Division returned to New York with stories of the alleged brvtaiities practiced by the men the General Staff at Washington issued a denial that the original report had ever been received by it.
 Col. Sincaid explains that the orig inal affidayits made by non-commis- stoned officers and privates were sent in with the original report, which was made December 26 and forwarded by the two officers to Major-Gen. John F. O'Kyan, tine division commander. He 3r turn transmitted 1t to the Adjuta fl General of the A. F. F. in Paris. from whom through military chan neis 1t was supposed eventually to have reached the General Staff in Washington.
 The report by Col Wainwright and Col Eincaid. now forwarded to Sec rotary Baker. follows:
 "1. A number of soldiers of this division. returning from leave. have been detained by the military police in Paris. For the purpose of this report. 1t is assumed that their deten- ton was authorized and reasonable and no question is raised on this
 
 circumstances surrounding these ar rests appear to indicate that the ar rests were unreasonable and i'll ad- vfsed, If not entirely unauthorized
 Three of the soldiers concerned all of whom are men of high order of intelligence with considerable stand ing in the neighborhood in which they reside. have made sworn state ments in the matter. Steps are now being taken to have the statements of other men taken. This was moi done at Divisional Headquarters yes terdsy as the men had reported tc their respective commands with the exceptions above noted.
 Tn reducing the statements ot these three men to writing, it was deemed advisable, for obvious req. sons. to omit a considerable portion of their stories. The extraneous mat ter would have made no stronger case against the individuals who arc specifically accused of brutality, bu would have tended to show a mos deplorable condition which should b, the subject of a much more compre hensive and searching investigation than could be made here.
 "2. The investigating officers de sire. however. to call to the division attention, 1n1OrmaIll and confdentially, certain of thes, statements. The soldiers complain that at the Petit Rouget, commonl, known to the men as the 'Basti1e,' fl Paris. the whole atmosphere, an< spirit of the institution, as evidenced by the profanity, vulgar and obscen, epithets used against the prisoners -.,>sars to be a spirit of intense he t--- and hostility against the Nationa Guard.
 Repeated statements were made t. these men by guards. who claimed t be regulars. reflecting upon the Ma tional Guard as an institution and a q fighting organization. While no at tempt is made to quote exactly tn phraseolosy used. the following in cludes substantially some of the ex pressions employed: Several imprint able explosives follow.) The Twenty seventh and Thirtieth Divisions ar no damned good and that is the req son they were sent up with the Brit ish. &c.'
 rho spirit is so entirely out of har rnony with general orderS of the A. E '. that it is not understood by the in