Arizona republican., 1919-07-30
NEITHER HAD NOR GAVE
 ORDERS TO ABUSE MEN
 AYERS COL. CRINSTEAD
Blames Congestion for the Conditions of Which Men Made Complaint to Probe Committee


 General Strong never told me to treat prisoners with ruthless se- verify and 1 never interpreted my orders from General Stronq to mean that" said Col. E. P. Grin stead, here yesterday, denying charges of Lieut.. Frank H. Smith before the congressional committee Investigating conditions at army prison farms in France.
 Continuing, in a formal state ment, Colonel Grinstead said:
 General Strong told me before went to CheIes that the discipIin- ary problem there was a difficult one, and that l would have to exer- else at all times strictest disei- pline.
 "lieut Smith had most diff cult task, arising from congestion that we were not able to relieve for some time, and do not think that he used more severe means than were necessary to control the prisoners. l do not think prisoners at the farm Smith commanded ever were beaten.
 
 serters or other absentees from the American army in France every day. And they were a hard lot to handIe.r
 Asked whether he had any orders from any source that men were to be treated so they "never would come back to Paris or never would pass through the farms aagin,- as charged by Smith. Colonel Grin stead said: q didn't have any orders of that nature and didn't give any such orders"
 Colonel Grinstead said he believed Smith had been nisquoted in re- gard to any orders that "ruthiess severity was to be employed at the farm.
 Regarding statements that the prisoners had "slept in the mud on straw" Colonel Grinstead said these conditions arose from "gen- eraI conditions throughout the dis trict,' and "prisoners in that re- aard were not treated differently from other soldiers"
 NEW YORK, July 2s.-Scores of in- stances of brutal treatment of Amer ican soldiers in the prison camps o- France, described in some instances a, amounting to a system of torture. re- sponsibility for which was placed by the witnesses on high army officers were related today before the congres sional subcommittee yhich is inves tgating the disciplinary systems O the A E. F.
 The committee. consisting of repre- sentative Royal c. Johnson. of Soul Dakota, and Representative Oscar F Band of Indiana, met in the disciplin ary barracks on Governors Island.
 Men Higher Up" Responsible
 The men "higher up" who were al rectly charged by witnesses for re sponsibility for the prison condition included Brig. Gen. W. w Harts. for mer commander of the American troop in the Paris district; Maj. Gen. Frei erick Smith Strong. of the 10th Di vision; Col. Edgar Grinstead. com mander of the 15sth Infantry. and Col J. s. Maui of the Field Artillery. / number of captains and lieutenant also were named as having taken al active part in the brutal treatment O the prisoners.
 At the close of the hearing. Repre- sentative Johnson announced that al eases in which charges were mad would be placed before the inspecto general of the American army an, every effort made to bring the guilt, men to punishment.
 From the evidence from the com mittee," said MT. Johnson, 'ft seem clear to us that while sergeants ant lieutenants were punisheu. they wer merely the scapegoats of higher of ficers. We want to discover who wer the men higher up and we will d. everything in our power to see tha they are brought to trial. It is appar ent that this was not a case of bru tality in an individual prison, but tha similar conditions existed in practicall- all the prisons in France'' Col. Grinstead Mentioned Freouentl The principal witness today wa Col. T. o. Donaldson, of the inspecto generals department, who made an of flciai investigation of the prisoner after the first charges of brutalit- were made public. Col Donaldson ad mitted that responsibility for condi tions in the Paris prisons must be lai to General Harts. He was then uues toned sharply as to the reasons wh Colonel Grinstead. who had been i charge of Farm No. had never bee brought to trial although Colonel Don aldson, in his report, had recommends his courtmartial for neglect of duty.
 "Is it possible" asked MT. Blan, that high officers took the positio that they would not convict a man C the rank of colonel?"
 "Oh, no."
 And that they had a good goat i the person Of Hard Boiled Smith T have nothing to say about that
 Do you know of any reason" per sisted MT. Bland, "why Colonel Grin stead should not have been brought { trial"
 T suppose the superior officers ha some good reason" replied the witnes
 It IS a serious reflection on tn A. E. F." commented Mir. Bland. 'If sentry goes to sleep on duty he is sho but if an officer goes to sleep on dut and hundreds of boys are beaten u, he is given an honorable discharge
 Smith Shields Others? MT. Bland then asked the witness { the fact that Colonel Grinstead cam from Phoenix. Arizona, that liar Boiled" Smith came from the sam town and that the two were intimat did not suggest that Smith had bee willing to take the blame for thine that he could have passed up to hi superior.
 Tt would look that way" replie Colonel Donaldson.
 Lieutenant Hard Boiled" Smitl who was in direct command of Far No. 2. said on the stand that "terribl brutalities' were practiced in tf French prison camps but insisted ths his camp was ''pleasurer esort." H said he had not long to live and wante to tell the truth while he was alive.