The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-10

Warrington March BIN corre~
spondenee between Secretary of
War Baker and Major General ".
IL. Cr0wder, Judge adwocate-acn-
erai, made public today. both Off,
ciais stoutiy deny that ampy I'm
Justice hsn been done IN soldiers"
by unduly severe sentences ian
peaed by recent cou-t-marsfai.
L have been deeply concerned"
wrote Secretary Baker to General
Crowder. over the harsh criticisms
upon our system of military justice. !
= have not been made 10 believe, by
perusaI Of these cor plants. that JUS
tice is not done today under the mill
tary law, or has not been done during
the war period And my own nc-
quaintance with the curse OF military
justice gathered II Is from the large
number of cases which in the regular
4 routine come to me for final action
couvinces me that the conditions i'm
piled by these recent COMPLAINTS do not
exist and had not existed"
Secretary Baker said he was "abso-
lutely certain that the public appre-
/ tensions which have been created are
ercundless" and in his letter to Gem
eral Crowder begged leave to convey
! to you the assurance OF my entire
faith that tho system of military Jus
{ tee both in It's structure as organized
I by the statutes of congress and the
presidents regulations and in it's ope-
ration as administered during tho war.
ISIS entially sound"
The families Of these men must not
be left to believe" says Secretary
Bakers letter. that they were sub
jectod TO system that d.d not fully
deserve the terms. law and justice.
therefore ask you to furnish the main
facts In n form which win permit ready
perusal for the Intelligent men and
women who are so deeply Interested In
THE subject"
The outstanding statements in Cen
eral Crowders reply are AZ follows;
The eircun stances that have most
amazed mo In my following Of the
press TOY orts are that the public In
terest mas been carried and SUSTAINED
by supposed controversy between my
self and al officer ot my department
General Anseii and yet that the ex.
ceedingly small margin of actual con-
troverty IL entirely lost TO sight in q
uIurk of supposed instances OF harsh
or unjust treatment OF soldiers which
bears little or no relation to Genera
Anselfs lack OF or concurrence with
the views OF tho war department.
general Ansoll contends that Their,
Is a fault IN the organic structure oi
me conrt-martlal system In the fac
that after q man has been tried by
court martial ard the record of tria
has been reviewed by the authority tha'
appointed this court casually a mill
tary officer of high rank) and by hin
finally approved and carried into exc
cutfon th-re is no further appellate
body or officer who can review the ap
rolntinE officers review and modify, at
firm or reverse his action.
with this I agree and there is nj
controversy about It. ! submitted an6
you approved In January. 1913. draf
of legislation vesttng such further
appellate or reviewing power In thu
president. \rhe draft was introduced
and d,c,ded In tho senate military com
mittee which no doubt considered Il
of less actual importance than Other
pressing business OF the war
Let Yne say hrst OF all that the
criticism that sentences are severe !,
not q criticism OF tho system OF mill.
ttary Justice II lie not q criticism oil
my administration Of that system. II
fs . criticism Of the officers who I'm
posed, for instance sentences OF death
for senttnels convicted Of sleeping or
most, for soldiers wilfully and contu'
maciously refusing 20 obey orders, ant
for assertions in time Of war, and II IL
"a criticism OF the congress which au.
ifhordixed a death penalty In plain stat.
utory terms to be assessed on convic.
items for these orenses
"I DO not mean 10 say that II critt-
IeIsm In the connection IL dust arr
; immune. am not J agree with the
i'rtatute and shall defend It. but I an
not responsible for IT.
General Crowder seys not a single
execution of death for there things ha,
Seen approved by him and not one sucf
sentence has Neen executed. He adds
81 am informed that the inspector
general OF the army has been desig'
rated to conduct thorough inveHtign
ton and make all Of the ascertain
men.s of fact that are necessary te
elucidate the administration Of military
Justice during the war period"