Arizona republican., 1919-07-31

Colonel Edgar P. Grinstead, in a de- tailed statement issued at his home here last night, ridiculed the idea that Col r. e Donaldson can be a compe- tent witness to testify before the con gressional sub- committee as to brutal treatment of prisoners at prison farm No. ?, near Chelles. France, and sharply denied Congressman Bland's intimation that hundreds of boys were beaten up" while the responsible officer was given an honorable dis charge
 Colonel Grinstead also labeled as absurd the suggestion that he made a goat of Lieutenant (Hard Boiled) Smith.
 i T don't believe and never did be- 1 lieve that Lieutenant Smith did any, thing but his duty at farm No. 2 he said.
 The colonel also entered an em- phatic protest against the general public's willingness to believe that most men who were confined in prison camps of type similar to the one at Chelles were charged with minor of lenses, and that they were invariably i treated with monstrous cruelty.
 Not All Heroes 1 Tt is time the public walked up to ! the fact that every man that went to France was not a hero" said Colonel Grinstead, and thtt those who drifted into farm No. and other like prisons in France were for the most part war time deserters.'
 Col. Grinstead's Statement
 Colonel Donaldsons testimony as reported by the Associated Press July 29, intinsated that I have slipped home to America and have been ho>orablv discharged from the army without any action ever having been taken on his recommendations in regard to farm I No. 2. The congressional committee certainly has access to the war depart ments records, and if it chose. could have told the newspapers what hap pened to me.
 "I was exonerated from the
 charge of inefficiency by an eff
 ficiency board which met at Tours last April and which conducted
 five day examination in whf1h this
 whole affair was thorouahy aired.
 Fitness As Officer Tested
 Colonel Donaldson was a witness for the United States at this hearing held 10 determine my fitness as an officer I want to quute extracts from some interesting testimony relative to Colonel Donaldson's familiarity with my work at farm No ?.
 Referring to a stenographic report of the proceedings of the board and reading the testimony of Colonel Don aldson given under cross examination, Colonel Grinstead continued.
 Never at Prison Farm No.
 fln I La
 tigation at prison farm number
 two?
 "A. never was at farm number
 two; it was abandoned when
 made the investigation and made
 my report, which was made on the
 testimony of witnesses who wee
 at the farm previously"
 Later. the following testimony was given.
 @ At that time did you inquire into the records of any of the prison CTS whose statements you took.
 Not First Class Men
 "A. No, but I vill state that there ! was no doubt from the statements that some of these men were old offenders and not first class men. @. The record that you took from these men was just from their state ments as to what treatment they had received at this farm?
 "A. Yes, sir.
 @. Now you have stated that you never were at prison farm number two?
 "A Yes. sir
 @. Was any representative of voui department ever at prison farm nun. Der two?
 "A. Not to my knowledge
 @. No inspection was ever made?
 "A. Not so far as know @. Was any inspection ever made of Colonel Grinstead or his duties a Chelles by your department?
 "A. I do not know whether that wa: done but I do not believe it was, no at least by the s. o. &, for he was no under our jurisdiction, but under tho Jurisdiction of Paris"
 Colonel Grinstead then proceeded tt Idicule the every man in France { hero' idea, and to rebuke the news papers for representing the men an6 officers on prison camp duty as per petrators of monstrous cruelties." Thousands Deserted
 "As matter of fact" said Col
 onel Grinstead, Everybody that was a soldier in France knows that
 thousands of our men were running
 away from the front lines, and that
 had the war continued many exc
 cutions would have been necessary
 before those assertions could have
 been stopped.
 This investigation as reported b. the newspapers leads the public to be lieve that a large number of innocen . soldiers were mistreated In prisons il France As a matter of fact most o [ the stories of cruelty are hearsay. ex Q aggerated by repetitions. Men and of e ficers who were not given the privileg, 9 of combat, but assigned to the duty o l rounding up those who were given tn, l privilege and who ran away, have beer v represented as the perpetrators o monstrous cruelties on the persons o boys who were doing their duty ant faithfully serving their country.
 Time for Awakening "lt is time the public walked up ot the fact that every man who went to France was not hero, and that those who drifted into farm number two and other prisons in France were for the most part war time deserters. Colonel Grinstead closed his state