Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-09-27
CONNECTS HIGH OFFICERS WITH
 ABUSE OF MEN
Outrages Perpetrated on Amer jeans in Same Building With
 Brig. Gen. Harts. CONGRESSMEN BACK
 FROM INQUIRY ABROAD Say Higher Officers Have Not Atoned; War Department Has
 Not Offered Reasonable
 Excuse. is Claim.


 New York, Sept. 26.-Bringing q report of Courageous cruelties per petrated on American soldiers" i'll prisons of the American Expedition ary Forces in France, the congress sional committee sent overseas to investigate tale of army prison horrors" arrived here tonight on the transport Agamemnon from Brest. The party was composed of Representative Royal C.. Johnson, South Dakota. chairman; Oscar N. Bland of Indiana. and Henry Flood of Va.
 Conditions in army prison camps were found "very bad" with special emphasis laid on prison camp two, near Paris, the committee stated.
 Conditions were appalling Re- presentative Bland said.
 Nothing like this treatment of our men had ever been known before in the history of the American army. We have copies of records, reports and testimony of inspectors, court-martial officers, so as to be enabled to definitely fix responsibi- lity."
 Representative Bland held that Col. Grinstead and General Strong were directly responsible for the unprecedented cruelties" at the pri- son farm two, and that if Gen. Stong, who was over Col. Grinstead, did not know of conditions, he should have.
 He said that Gen. Harts for months was in the same building at 10 Rue St. Anne, where thousands of outrages were committed. Lack of food, heat and air, and nauseating sanitary conditions, were before his eyes. and the reports showing their condition were on file in his office, Mir. Bland said.
 The representative added that Gen. Harts was the military guar dian of the president. and "no man in the judge e-advocate- generals or provost-marshal's department had the boldness to recommend his trial before a court martial or efficiency board"
 Three facts stand out," said MT. Bland. "first, that the most horrible and revolting cr,lelties existed; sec ond that the hieher offirers respon- sible have not been made to atone for these wrongs: third. that no req sonable excuse for the same has been offered by the war department. It is clearly up to them"
 Congressman Bland added "it is the intention of the committee to see that every man in any wav re- sponsihle for the outrages will be broueh+ to justice before the forum of public opinion"
 Say Funds Misused.
 Representative Bland also said that at the present time there are cases in France of misuse of Ameri- can povernment funds which would start'e the nation if given nnblicity. He cited "the vinegar case" as a samnle of snending government funds for the purchase of 5000 900 gallons of vinegar and later revoking the or der at "reat loss.
 Another similar case, known as the 'ccmrass case'" he said "where a purchasing agent bought thousands of compasses for which there was no use"
 At the present time in France, ar- my officers who acted as purchasing aoerts for the government are being tried and punished and many of thano will % tn prison. according to MT. Bland. who declared the facts of the case will he kept ont of the papers ard hushed m quickly.
 We are bringing with us a copv cf tho h'arIat agreement in which RI OO.O0O.0O0 worth Of United States oov"rrmert nrope~tv was sold for S4OO GOO. .0on" Mr Bland added "The~e was $50O 0OO GOO worth Of textiles and food alone in this sale and a ""od nart of it is as good as new"
 Mr. Flood. regarded hv the o+her members as the minority member. said that it was his opinion that the vast sums of money experded by the povernroant for the A. F.. F., were very we'll spent.