New-York tribune., 1919-09-16
His Defence off System Is
Declared Par sisan Effort
to Back Up Cel1. Crowdcr
and the War De apartment
Ansen Repeats Charges
Chamberlain Says People
and Senator's Do No,
Share ex-President's View
New J ORR Tribune
{ifrSb b,,,ofna D,,,.,r,t

Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON. Sept. 15.-Former
President Taft has taken for granted
the statement from the War Depart
ment' on courts martial in going to
the defence OF the present system of
military justice in an article published
this morning. Senator Chamberlain,
Democrat. of Oregon declared IN the
Senate to-day.
Senator Chamberlain, who was for
merly chairman of the Senate Commit
tee on Military Affairs, and who has
been leading the fight in the Senate for
reform of the court martial system, said
that Mr. Taft went to the defence of
the existing system "on the authority
OF former Secretary Of War and
commander in chief of the army" He
said that IF Mr.. Taft will familiarize
himself with the evidence that is being
presented" before the Senate Military
Affairs Committee, "he Will entirely
change his opinion"
Mr. Taft wrote the article at the
instance Of General Crowdor, his close
former Brlgadier General Samuel r.
Ansell, in q statement commenting on
the article. General Ansell was re
duced to the rank Of lieutenant colonel
and removed from the office of acting
Judge advocate general Of the army
last March. after he had appeared be
fore Congress and urged revision Of
the court martial system.
Calls Him Ignorant of Facts
Though himself utterly ignorant of
the facts Of the controversy, he has
contented himself with adopting as his
own the arguments and statements of
his generous friend without any in
vestlgation as to their cerdibiltv or
his lack of disinteres tedness.' General
Ansell continued. "and it is equally
evident that he has also adopted TIE
methods Of defence agreed upon in the
beginning by the Judge advocate gen
eral and his official supporters name
y, general denial OF the injustice
through the official MISREPRESENTATION
OF facts and an attempt to discrcdit
and destroy me and every other officer
who should oppose the system Such a
method of defence was deemed to
possess the double virtue of distract
ing public interest from the vicious
ness Of the system itself and centring
1t upon mere personalities. where it
was believed it must necessarily be
short lived"
MY. Taft thus pcrverts his power
to the fulthcrancc Of plan not only
to maintain the existing vicious sys-
TEN Of military Justice and to do me
great personal injury. but he abuses
the confidence and trust of the Ameri-
car people and misleads them, and de
bases his exalted position as ex-Presi-
dent of the Republic to become an ir-
norant and bitter partisan in behalf
of his friend
inquiry Due, He Says
at was duo the people to whom. by
virtue ot his position. he can ALWAYS
SPEAK. that he should make some effort
to verify the statements made By Cen
eral CroWder concerning my personal
attitude TO him before adopting them
to himself and spreading them broad
cast throughout the land under the
sanction of his name and fame"
General Ansell denied the statement
made by MIR. Taft that he had sought
the appointment as acting judge advo-
cate general "by disingenuous meth
DDS" and reiterated former public
statements that the changes in the
court martial system recommended bv
hlm had first received the approval OF
Secretary Baker and General Crowder
IF N.Y. Taft Will investigate the sub
ct as q lawyer and familiarze him
elf with the evidence that is being
presented to the Senate, | doubt not he
will entirely change his opinion" Sen
ator Chamberlain declared. I'm this
article he says it is to be expected that
under any system errors will be
made and inJustices committed but
that General Crowder's statistica
analysis has proved that injustice re
suits in very small number of cases
under the present system.
~ suspect that if Mr. Taft knew al
the facts that have been developed h,
would change his mind. He die
change his mind in the matter of tn,
first draft of the league of nations
which he entirely approved when i
was first submitted here. Later h,
changed his mind about it, and Offered
series of amendments to it. Whel
the revised covenant was first submit
ted Mr.. Taft found it entirely salts
factory, and again, on further Thought
he changed his mind and favored res
crvations. SO ] feel confident that i
thoroughly familiariZcd with this sub
Ject to court martial, he would likewis
change his mind about it,
Senator Chambe rlain read from a
article cabled from Paris by Repre-
sentative Royal johnson, of South Da
kota. who is chairman Of the Hous
subcommittee iii Paris investigator
the general subject of military sen
tences.
In his cable comment. Mr. Johnso,
declared that "the treatment of mill
tary prisoners in and around Pari
during the summer and fall of l9l.