The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-03-27
Ansell Points Out Faults of
System Which Has Been
Under Fire
CITES EXAMPLES
TO PROVE POINT
Says Review of Decisions Should Not
Be Left Entirely to Military Com
clemency Not Proper Kind of
Alternative for Wrongs.

WASHINGTON, March 27.-The army
court-martial system has been again con-
demned by Colonel Samuel T. Ansell,
former acting Judge advocate general OF
the army, in a speech befone the luncheon
forum of the National Popular Govern
'ment league Colonel Ansell, who is the
storm center of the controversy over the
subject, pointed out that there is no SUI
perior departmental authority to correct
errors committed by court-martial, and
went on:
| 1.-The errors of this court, little compe.
tent to administer the law, if law be as
important as it would seem TO be, in the
administration OF human justice, must,
when once tinalized by the approving viii
OF military commander, go ever there,
after uncorrected. Clemency does not
correct injustice in finding of guilty
Lack of legal control is the diiiculty-lack
of control at the top, at the bottom,
throughout the proceedings Instead OF
legal control, we have in our system the
control of these inherently judicial func
tions by the power of military command ;
A9ltihIllS CAdHJteS NciO gwen DA SOiOue
Ansell, including the case of a man who
received a 99-year sentence.
The accused" said Colonel Ansell
was young man % years Of age, con
vidted of absence without leave, deser
tion and escape lie was defended By
lieutenant as counsel, who apparently die
not more than bear the label. The evi
dence for the government consisted o
the brief testimony of the captain ane
sergeant. The counsel stood by, render
ing no apparent assistance There wa
no testimony whatever for the accused
The court sentenced the man to b.
ldishonorably discharged, to forfeit all pa,
and allowances due, and to be confined a
hard labor for 80 years The division
commander took occasion in his order
to commend the court for having don
their duty in awarding a substantial sen
tence for such a serious offense, and then
rather naively, l thought, suspended th
execution of the sentence of dishonorabl
discharge while the accused was servin
his 80 years confinement.
1t turns out also that the man is men
) tally defective, having the mind OF chill
OF no more than nine years, and is unfi
for assignment to any military duty, eve
: at the time of the trial he must have bee
" afflicted with progressive disease PR
ductiye of hunchback.
In another case man was convicte
G of absence without leave of 26 days d
one time and seven days at another an
G for failing to report for duty lie wa
a sentenced to be dishonorably discharge
/ and to be confined at hard labor for !
t years, which the convening authority r
duced to 10.
e In another case the accused was col
victed OF disobeying an order TO tab
d your rifle and 90 out and drill and cscal
e ing from confinement, for which he ";
; sentenced to be dishonorably discharge
d and to be confined at hard labor for ;
; years which the converting authority r
duced to 90 In another ease Of absen.
without lsave for three months the a
: cused was sentenced to 20 years, whil
L was reduced to 10.
9 I'm another case OF absence withoi
Il leave for six weeks the accused testili,
II and it was not denied that he went hon
d to see u young wife and baby who we
sick and having difficulty in keeping boo