The sun., 1919-03-06
CHAMBERLAIN RAPS
CR0WDER AGAIN
Oregon Senator Says Judge
Advocate General Makes
False Statements.
ALSO CRITICISES BAKER
Asserts That Secretary Of
War Is Guided by Reac-
tiOnary Elements.
ALSO CRITICISES BAKER

WAsHINoroS. March 5.--Another chap
ter in the controversy between Congress
and the War Department over the gem
eral question of military Justice was
added Tonight by Senator Chamberlain
(Ore). chairman OF the Military Com
mittee in the last Senate, who Issued
statement asserting that erroneous and
false" statements were contained In tho
reply OF Ma jor-Gen. Crowder. Judge Ad.
vocate General. to the Senator's address
In the Senate last December.
Senator Chamberlain also sharply
criticised Secretary Baker, charging he
had permitted himself to be guided by
the reactionary elements OF the army
Referring to the correspondence between
Mr.. Baker and Representative Gould
On. " regarding Brig Gen. Anseh.
formerly acting Jucpe Advocate General
who recently testified before Congress
slonal committees concerning courts
martial cases, the Senator said the Sec
retarys next step would be to reduce
the rank OF Gen. Arsell,' and added:
NO man who is wholly impervious
70 the inhumanity in the courts-mar-
tial system and 10 the opinion Of the
country could not only refuse to
change the conditions. but also pun
ish the man who Is responsible more
than any one else for the conditions
| being ma de known and for such steps
as have been taken by the military
authorities to change and correct
them
Misstatements Alleged.
Cen Crowder's letter replying to Sen
I ator Chsmberlain's address was placed
| In the Con rcssionul Record last Mon
day by Representative Lunn On. W.
Accompanying it was letter from MIR.
Baker saying the Generals reply had
been sent to Mr.. Chamberlain several
! weeks ago
Admitting that he received the letter
the Oregon Senator said it contained so
many misstatements OF fact that ] hes
itated to make 1t public. because I did
not care to embarrass the Secretary by
ha wing him stand sponsor and be respon-
siOle for such erroneous and false state
ments in an official communication TO the
Senate of the United States"
Mr.. Chamberlain discussed at great
length the case of a soldier on militar!
duty found in n shop at night and sem
fenced to a long term of imprisonment
The soldier asserted at the trial that he
had heard n noise in the shop and had
entered thinking a burglar was in the
place. This was one of the many cases
referred TO by the Senator in his original
speech and 1t was treated in Gen. Grow
ders reply.
Gen. Crowder in his endeavor to fur
nish me with authentic data in this
taser said the Senator. says nothing
about the court-martial first acquitting
this soldier and then subsequently, at the
direction of tho commanding officer who
appointed the court, reversing itself and
finding the soldier guilty and imposing a
long prison sentence. He simply states
that the accused soldiers story was dis
believed and ne was found guilty This
statement Is wholly incorrect have
read the record and he apparently has
. not.
'Unworthy Of Acceptance"
} Asserting that on the very day Gen
: Crowder signed q memorandum reply
submitted to Congress he also signed a
memorandum recommending that this
soldier be released and restored to mis-
previous status in the army. Senator
Chamberlain said:
II have gone at length into the
risstatements OF Gen. Crowder con-
corning this Sc 40 as to show con-
clusvely how unworthy OF acceptance
. his reply TO me is In regard 10 other
cases cited by me. II Is sufficient to
state that the same false answers are
made
| Representative Gould wrote Secretary
: Baker to-day renewing his request FOL
Information as 10 the truth OF published
, reports that Br.g Gen. Ansell was to b,
. disc harged from his present temporary
rank, thus automatically becoming
Northumberland, the rank he held be
fore the war
Declaring that the Secretarys letter
to him, made public yesterday, did no
= answer this inquiry nor the one as to tn,
cause for such demotion II II was TO h,
made. Mr.. Gould asked Mr. Baker II h,
would answer these inquiries with tn
frankness that the importance OF th'
subject and the intimate interest of tn,
country therein demands"
Gen. Ansel recently testified before
Congressional committees regarding mil
itary justice in the army, and in reply
E ing to Mr.. GOuld's first letter The Wa
I Secretary said 10 officer who had APP
pear-d before such committees had beer
disciplined.