New-York tribune., 1919-04-23

avlators will be extended the priv
ilcges of the golf course and club
house.
TO recognize the soldiers as citizens
OF the state, and declared it was the
natural result of such system that
an officer caste should be built up.
Declaring 1t q fact that the enlisted
man did not receive the Same consid~
eratlon of his rights under the ays~
tenn that offieers enjoyed, Colonel An
cell argued that the only remedy lay
IN writing into the law the guarantees
ct tho rights of the aeldler, While this
IA LEFT TO regulations to he prescribed
by tho President, he aa(d. 1t cannot
bo effective.
"Thc attitude Of the army" hc add
cd, "has been intolorant toward those
methods necessary to Justice They
do not take kindly to legal restraints"
Would Limit Authority
While commander of troops. must
necessarily have arbitrary power Of
command, Colonel Ansell asserted, it
should not go to the extent of permit
ting him to hang men.
Wants Independent System
Congress cannot command the
army" Colonel Ansell declared, but
Congress should prescribe the rules
Tor It's discipline. If you are going to
nave any law worthy of the name, you
Will not get it by committing it to de-
m q n ptO1 lott -
lett there, all this agitation will have
been in vain"
The officer, who was frequently in
terrupted by members of the commit
tee to discuss involved legal questions
as they. arose in his argument, as
serted that there had been strong eff
fort by the War Department to have
the people and perhaps this committee
believe that there was substantial
revision of the Articles of War in 1916.
This was not the fact, he said, and
cited statements made to Congress
slonal committees by Major General
Crowder, Judge Advocate General. In
proposing the revision to prove his
case.
His attention was drawn to recent
statements by General Crowder show
ing that he agreed that the military
code needed amendment. These state
evidence of "a change of heart" on
General Crowder's part, but he de-
clared that such statements by that
officer or Secretary Baker were mot
made IN way to assure me, as would
favorable report by this committee"
In submitting his own recommends
tlons, Colonel Ansell reaf1irmed his be-
lief that the legal officers of the army
ought to stand on different footing
of cf
subject to military domination. If
line officers would "broaden out"
Colonel Ansell said, they would soon
abandon the slogan, "You can't have
justice in an army"
In the course of his argument Col
onel Ansell said che would have thrown
INTO the wastebasket" the bill submit
ted by the War Department more
than year ago authorizing the Presi- !
dent to review and revise court mar
tlal findings or sentences.
Had that bill passed" he said
you would have the Judge Advocate
General reporting to the Chief of
staff, the ultra military man of the
army
Chairman Gregory said he under
stood that Colonel Ansel sought to
have established "a thoroughly iudi.
cial system" which would be free from
interference "by the Chief of staff !
or anybody else" Colonel Ansell
agreed, adding that the question was
whether these trials were discipli |
nary matters or matters of pure law.
You have got to turn over the
whole psychology of the situation" he
declared, "by some new law" to es
cape from the ultra military view
point. 1t is there the mistake is made,
he said, and added; eve will have |
injustice as long as we stay on that
trail"
Turning to statistical tables, Colonel
Ansell said that in tifty-one out of
every 100 court-martial cases of enlist
ed men dishonorable discharges had
been awarded as part of the penalties.
Ol those awarded, as per cent had been
executed. This was wholly different
from the treatment Of othcera, for the
safeguarding of whose commissions
Congress had carefully provided, he
said, Wv
From the records of the Snecial
tlemeney Roard on which he ia aerv.
iog the officer drew out the fact that
IN S,9ls eases examined the accused
had been defended by officers of the
rank OF captains or above IN IL ncr cent
OF the cases; civilian counsel in u. per
cent; leutohants in 7A.T7 per cent. and
CnHniuluS y x pnr cant