Bisbee daily review., 1919-03-06
CR0WDER'S REPLY ON
 COURTS MARTIAL IS
 FALSE, SAYS SENATOR
Chamberlain Renews Contro-
 verSy With War De partment
By RsvssE Lsazsa w5reD

WASHINGTON. Mar. 5.-Anc1her chapter in the controversy between congress and the war department over the general question Of military jus tice was added tonight by Senator Chamberlain. chairman Of the military committee in the last senate. who is- sued . statement declaring that ~er- roneous and false statements were contained in the reply of Major Gen eTal Crovder, judge advocate genera. to the senator's address in the senate last December
 Senator Chamberlain also sharply criticized Secretary Baker. declaring he had permitted himself to be guid- ed by the reactionary elements of the army"
 Referring to the correspondence be- tween Mir Baker and Representative Gould of New York. regarding Brig adler General Ansell, former acting judge advocate general, who recently testified before congressional commit tees concerning court martial cases. the senator said the secretary's next step would "be to reduce the rank of General Ansell," and added:
 Plays Secretary Baker
 "No man who is not wholly imperv- ious to the inhumanity in the court martial system and to the opinion of the country could not only refuse to change the conditions, but also to pun ish the man who is responsible, more than anyone else, for the conditions being made known and for such steps as have been taken by the military authorities to change and correct them
 General Crovder's letter replying to Senator Chamberlain's address was placed in the congressional records last Monday by Representative Lunn of New York Accompanying 1t was a letter from NIT. Baker saying the generals reply had been sent to Sen atOr Chamberlain several weeks ago
 Admitting that he received the let ter. the Oregon senator said it "eon- tained so many mis-statements of fact that I hesitated to make 1t public be- cause I did not care to embaTrass the secretary by having him stand sponsor and be responsible for such erroneous and false statements to the senate of the United States
 Recalls Reversal
 Senator Chamberlain discussed at length the case of a soldier on military duty found in a shop at night and sentenced to long term of imprisOn- ment
 The soldier claimed at the trial that he had heard a noise in the shop and had entered thinking a rObber was in the place This was one of the cases referred to by the senator in his orig inal speech and it was treated in Gen. eral Crowder's reply
 General Crowder in his endeavor to furnish me with authentic data in this case said the senator, says nothing about the court martial first acQuitting this soldier and then subse- Quently, at the direction of the com manding 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 he was found guilty This statement is wholly incorrect have read the record, and he appar- ently has not
 Declaring that on the very day Gen eraI Crowder signed the memorandum reply submitted to congress he also Sigaed memorandum recOmmendinS that this soldier be released and re- stored to his previous status in the army, Senator Chamberlain Ssid-
 T have gone st length into the mis- statements cf General CrOWder con- cerning this case so as 10 show con clusively how unworthy Of acceptance his reply to me is In regard to other cases cited by me, it is sufficient to state that the same false answers are made