Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-02-28
MAN Who FOUGHT
| ON FRENCH FRONT
DEMANDS ACTION
Asserts Six Will Be Exc
cuted Unless Interven-
ton Comes Quickly.
CHANGES ARE DEMANDED.
IN SYSTEM NOW IN USE
Representative Johnson, of South
Dakota. Assails Chief 53
of Forces.
FAILS TO RETURN RECORDS,
declares 1t Impossible Now to Tell.
Whether Penalties inflicted
Are Justifablc.
FAILS TO RETuRa RECORDS.
Declares 1t Impossible Now to Tell
Whether Penalties inflicted
Are JustffiabIc.

F>0HiNN1ON, 'teb. 2t-RepreSen-s
tative Johnson. Of South Dakota.
lieutenant in the army during tho war.
renewing his attack in the House to-
Gay OH the present court-nartial Isys
tenn, charged that General PershirE
mad refused to comply with an order OF y
tho War Department demanding tho re q
turn, OF all records OF court-martIaiei
peoSeedings Of cases of men sentenced
VoSate-generai. - = S1,S.e'' = - Z
Mr. Johnson declared six men Of thes
death, and that the sentences wonjdt he,
carried quit e. some one did not inter-,
vehf to te,, Hs SAID It would be imposslble
wero Justified until all tho records Of
the trlaIs were examined s7isSiF Il !,
House of the. Chamberiain Bill pSovjI Ine
ing, ing Ior revision of the ,court-martiaIs &
sSSStemi sSSa T., saying the existing miiitary5
offensive to any enlightened sehseSori sas
natural justice and to fundamentai5
durinn9 due inn9ast iso jadgmspts Of cour.s-mas tai
has sas I'D ta dr. IS S9l,p 4 n saIa
tcAnaay Many -, cases ,s Of soldiers being sem
for reca triylai y1 ilonG mprisonment dsath
,t Gtss sMtenuating circumstances. Were
ease aasa py Sb src Mr, Johnson He told OF ono
France hetY had been mafhlns ntih Ga gunner in
poral., who had been drinkinr I, na q COT. COT
Tbc 1Tsce" a. 70 stab him to defend himself.
the gunner was sentenced tn una
sea.s YEAR at hard labor. Mr.. Jo-,son sad safd'
o"A"cEs TIE AmS REsi9t,, REERsEi9t,gIENTLY U NJ,
OF ises eaprise !, ar are freauently the result
tinqed There is no JUDICIAL j n ne nyssti Sol-
sharFes aetasiig aiesnn of Whether
whether there Is prima ia facie iemse nrna and
soidiers soSihir them hen The power to take
or to infIict' fIi' Chm or smpnson RI him for life
can can, De used by any officer OF the amen,
There is sc or m, his rank and experience..,
poMss;" Mr Io,ns 'Aof''S 10 inter-
iustic.s i, 1ohnson.s arraignment OF the In
was was one of the most severe iai Hot system gsfe,
era eir IN Congress. In view Of his
words carrisd arGi@ieags rIsst Of army ne: his
members Of the House. and hsh hh lne
warmly applauded. "u ne was
sesi mr. =; johnson left his family and
9ate when the United States "a Pri,
thWs. me war. lie went to France and fnnr-bt
wberds ,bush the battle of the ArEonnn
"mu,c nc was severely wounded. -,
JOHNSON PROMOTED
FoR GALLANT Ae,r,oY
drnt ne was promoted for gallant con.
a' aauc.' and came out of the service
1rst lieutenant. He gave nan,ea sice
ohaes chses or scores of cases where ha
would not ith'Gstsess iniass ,b,s had been done.
e. g. tnls time" he said, in beeinnius.
ans ans lnformea l4ReeGhs sut tSat for the fact that
issued by the War Department 40 20. =,
iast Few days since the discussinr ny
.nis question, ordered the commanda
forces f in q Fraeca ene american expeditionary
al cases OF men sentenced under eoI,rt
marital in France In the Amer;c.,,
eApeditionary forces
The commander in CHIEF =.
american expeditionary forces ene ;,
I1, france zee mas absolutely refused to corr
10y 10 send @,dh That shat order: and has refused
theory that the articles OF War 10 nns me
rh.oVIue th that he shall be forced to maEs
nc fact that among those cases wbitsss cS
thheS refused to send back for reyisioms
Inc shsre are about six eases where men
nre ,ini sentenced Sc to death and will die
House prior to the next session., '"'S
ASSERTS TRIALS REEK
WITH RANK LAWLEsSNESSe
conpt HPeanlnG imsrS, seneraliy of the army
clared the code and procedure mndcr
i.naa it. are offensive 10 any enlighteneaa aa
mensai prineipies dpa 'ofties of iaw and to fanda
notwithstanding heavy punish
m,entS. the records are legal. Herein
lies the chief difficulty. The War Ds.
rSartment part 1ent says trials arc legal. Il 4 say
been fair. they have not been impars
tar and in many instances they hays
not been tried at all. -
High officials in the War Depart
ment nave said that the whole sys-
TEN of court-msrtlal procedures /.
asoh'aic, az cha crude and unjust; that thou
SANDS or soldiers during the war have 5,
suffered unjust and unlawful punish
,ilonts; and that there should be an
Congress" -. 1'l'"- ~
MI MT. Johnson said that In numerous
instances ncwly-joined second leu
tEsnan'ts. tenants. frightened, inexperienced and
and procedure, arc detailed 10 defend
eh!isted men who arc ignorant of thsirs I
rights and, .unappreciative OF the con-
sequences TSnss @ g Of & The charges against then,.
a hand or voice TO saye the mon 'tEov e
are assigned 70 defend but in frequent s
eases rseommepded a plea or guilty. q
although the penalty. may be death.Jl G
IN concluding. Mr.. Johnson said ETnyg
the name OF a just God. what can bu Il
said for g system that permits OF stIctsS