Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-03-10
!. courts I
DEFENGlsA;[ s; ROM
ATTACKS iNRLED
AGAINST RECORD
Judge Advocate General Crow
der Issues Statement Re-
garding Reduction in Rank
of AnSeII.
WHOLE MATTER TO BE
FULLY INVESTIGATED
Secretary Baker Doesn't Be-
Iieve Any Real Reason Exists
for Criticism Of Justice in
Army,

tBY MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED WlNtl
Washington, March 9.-Differences
between Major General Enoch II,
Crowder, Judge advocate general, and
Brigadier General Samuel T, Ansell,
former acting Judge advocate gener-
al, were explained and the ordering
of a thorough Investigation by the
inspector general of the army into
the whole subject of the administra-
ton of military justice during the
war was discloSed in a letter from
General Crowder to Secretary Baker,
made public today at the war de-
partment,
Accompanying General Crowder's
letter was one from Mr.. Baker ask
ing the Judge advocate general for q
complete statement as to the opera
ton of military justice. The secre-
tary wrote that his own acquaint-
ance with the facts convinced him
that the conditions, implied by re-
cent complaints "do not exist and had
not existed" but that it was essen
tial that the families of all those
young men who hed{a place in our
magnificent army should be reas-
sured."
In reply General Crowder made a
general defense against recent crtti-
cismS in congress and elsewhere con-
cerning court martial cases and
charged that General Ansell, without
his knowledge and consent had sub
mitted a brief to Secretary Baker
early in the war urging a evolution
in the military justice system.
Revoked BY Baker.
General Crowder also said that
about the same time that this brief
was submitted, General Ansell with
out consulting the secretary of war
obtained an order from the chief OF
staff appointing Ansel acting judge
advocate general. This was after
General Ansell had requested General
Crowders aid in getting such an or
der ana .hsli been told Rg the latter
to take the matter up with Mr.. Bak-
er. The order was revoked by Secre-
tary Baker before II was published
after General Crowder had called 1t
to Mr. Bakers attention.
The Judge advocate general said
the supposed controversy between
himself and General Ansell as to mill
itarv justice had been magnified
since the real issues and the only
ones were in differences of opinion
as to whether the power to review AM
overturn executed verdicts of general
courts martial existed and whether
that power should he exercised by the
Judge advocate general or the presi-
dent.
Turning to criticisms that the sem
tences of courts martial during the
war have been atrociouslv severe,
General Crowder wrote that this was
not "a criticism of the system of mill
tary justice and not a criticism of his
administration of that system,
Criticism of Officers.
'It Is a criticism" he said, "of the
officers who imposed, for instance,
sentences of death for sentinels con-
victed of sleeping on post, for soldiers
wilfullv and contumaciously refusing
to obey the direct orders of their
commanding officers and for desor-
ton in time of war, and II is a criti-
cism of the congress which authorlZ-
ed death penalty in plain statutory
terms to be assessed on convictions
for these offenses. ! do not mean 10
say that, If criticism in the connection
is due I am immune. ] am not.
agree with the statute. and shall de-
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fContinued on Page Two.)