The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-07-23
BILL EXTENDS CLEMENCY TO
 SERVICE MEN Sen. Chamberlain's Meas ure Meets With
 Favor. CREATES BOARD
 OF 8 MEMBERS Frees Service Men Con victed By Court
 Martial.

Washington, July 23 Senator ChanlS crlatn COre.J introduced in the Senate Monday a bill extending gen eral clcmency to soldiers. sailors and marines who have been courtmar- tialed during the war. This Is the upshot of the long and determined fight against the present system of the higher officers of the army. Con gross has been deeply impressed with the extreme severity of the penalties inflicted as means to maintain disci- pline.
 The Chamberlain bill provides that all courtmartialsd men shall be forthwith restored to the colors and their records shall stand as If they had never been prosecuted unless they were convicted of crimes equiv alcut to a felony under the federal statutes. All forfeitures of pay and allowances shall be repaid to them at once. They shall be given hon orabIe discharge and any forfeited citizenship rights shall be restored.
 A board of clemency and review would be created, composed of three members, versed ia the law, ap pointed by the President and con- hrmed by the Senate. It shall re- view, revise, modify or annul all courtmurtial determinations since April 6. 1917, in which the crime charged was equivalent to felony un- der the federal law.
 Senator Chamberlain explained he had personally prepared the measure without assistance because of his deep conviction that 1t was necessary 10 establish justice. He asked that the bHl be read to the Senate, and then said:
 'I am advised that the total of the sentences imposed by courtsmartial during the world war passed upon American soldiers was about 2S.OO0 years. A clcmcucy board has been appointed by the Secretary of War without any real authority except to make recommendations for reduce ton of sentences. This board has recommended q reduction of sem tences which brings the total down ,to about G,7OO years that American soldiers must serve in prison. The stigma of conviction Is not removed by action of the Cieuency board, and under the construction placed upon tho law by the distinguished Secre- tary of War and some of his military advisers there Is practically no re- v!sory power over these sentences whore the courtmartia1 had Jurisdic- ton and the proceedings have been regular.
 The purposes of the bin which I have introduced cannot be more briefly stated than they ara in tho bill itself.
 '-The measure applies equally to all engaged in the military or naval ser vice and who were subject to court martial.
 'The stories which are coming to me. many of them verified, of the outrnres being committed against young men through the instrument tnlity of courts martial are so horrible that some ieEfsia ton ought to be acted upon promptly to obtain relief. may a little later put a part of these cases In the record.
 ''Tho fact that already tho elem ency board has reduced the son tcnces in the aggregate from 2s,oOO years tp G.TOO years IS proof positive that the sentences were out of all proportion to the crimes committed. These 6.OOO years ought to he wiped out or placed at an irreducib1e rnin- imun.
 ''T'he bill will have to run counter to a strong military machine, but l believe the American people when the facts arc presented will appeal to Congress to pass measure which will remove the injustices which have been committed against tho young men by courtsmartial and tho r-o-c terrible things that are beinf perpetrated against them while they were serving their sentences ir