Arizona republican., 1919-08-10
L0CAL SERGEANT
 SAYS PRISONERS
 ABUSED AT FARM
Men of the 158th Infantry Hated Work but Had Or
 ders to Treat Prisoners so
 They Would Not Return

That the enlisted men doing duty at the notorious farm No. 2 in France of which Lieut. Frank (Hardboiled) Smith was in charge had positive orders to treat 'em rough" and that a class of men known as "bombproofers" to beat up prisoners, were assigned for duty at that farm and "The Brig" an other prison farm. is the positive as serhon of Sergeant Ray c. Griswold, of Phoenix, in a statement given out last night.
 Sergeant Griswold is in position to know the facts in the case. He deplores the publicity which has been given the l5Sth infantry and takes the stand That there were some officers of that organization who hated the work to which they were assigned, yet were forced as were the enlisted men, to obey orders. He positively states that orders were received to treat the men in the various farms so they would have no inclination to return.
 Tn regard to the "bombproofers, Griswold naively states that those specimens which were assigned to his company for their fistic abilities soon learned better, mainly due to the les sons taught them by the non-com's of company L of the 15Sth infantry. This class of men were characters prefer ring duty at the prison camps, rather than at the front.
 Griswold is earnest in his defense of the men of the 15Sth He points to the record made by the men from that or ganlZation who got to the front and proudly refers to the actions of the of tcers who went in to the lines.
 It is Griswold's contention that the truth about the prison farms in France has never been told, and that the de- tails are too tragic to bear overnuch publicity. His statement is a clear and concise exposition of affairs as handled by the men of the 15Sth They despised the work handed them, yet were held down to the grind while the big guns up front were calling to them all the time
 It is also Griswolds contention that the farms under the charge of Arizona men were not the worst by any mean ms in France He says it is well known mat St. Annis Brig, conducted by the 5Vth regiment of marines in Paris had a reputation alongside of which farm No. ? was a recreation spot. He states that when men from that regiment came to other farms it was necessary to put them under special guard to protect their lives.
 Sergeant Griswold's statement is as follows:
 Many statements concerning farm NO. have given false impressions to the public, as to the 15Sth infantry. be- cause so many of them have been neIesay or guesswork and because the 19Sth infantry is involved I wish to make a few statements of facts. I en- listed with the old first Arizona in fantry d5Sth) in May, 1917, and served with that Organization until mustered out in May, 1919.
 The brutal treatment of prisoners m so many prison camps of France was even worse than anything have seen published SO far. That the hard treatment was accordinq to orders ;e also true.
 That the 18th infantry or even . representative part of it carried out any such orders is not true.
 When the 15Sth was sent to tbe Chelles district about October 30. 1918 10 take charge of prisons, was a line sergeant in Co. L which with Co. I was put Tn charge of a "brig' at Noisiel about three dlometers from farm No. 2 which was put in charge of companies and K under the command of Lien tenant (Hardboiled) Smith. and at times worked in conjunction with eac5 other.
 Horrible Conditions Existed
 "The most horrible conditions existef when we took charge at NoisieI. TheI were sending A. W. O. L.s there an3 also hospital casuals, men who haf been wounded, received treatment at hospitals and were on their way hach 10 take their places in the front line again. They were kept in the brig with the A. W. o. L.s and handled ir exactly the same way. Many passef through who had been members of tht old first Arizona on the border, haf been sent across with our June ra. placement, were wounded in varior, stages of convalescence, some return. lng with wounds still unheaIed. som. so bad from gas they could hardly eet around and others just "all in" fro1, the effects of the strain they had bee, under. ii''A oeei
 One man, Juan Enis. an Indian iron