The sun., 1919-03-08
ANSELL REDUCTION
SEEN AS SPITE PLOT
Disciplinary Move Shown as
Sequel to Revelations on
Courts-martial.
ACTION srIRs CONGRESS
Representative johnson Rakes
Baker in Letter and De-
mands Explanation.
Special DcspoteA to TIE suS.

wAsHINoroN, March Tn reply to
the action OF Secretary OF War Baker in
reducing Brig. Gen. Ansell to the rank OF
Lieutenant Colonel representative john
son Is. d. to-day fired broadside In
the form of a letter addressed to Mr..
Baker.
The letter through facts stated therein
shows that Gen. Anselrs reduction Is
disciplinary move resulting from revela-
lions of the latter to Congress In regard
TO court-martial procedure and sentences.
1t is shown that TO accomplish this tho
Secretary raised another officer to the
rank of Brigadier General for a particu-
lar office, which was promptly abolished
with a view to placing this officer in
Gen. Ansells present position. The let
ter follows:
THE question in which the public Is
and ought to be interested IL whether
Gen. Ansell has been denoted because OF
his stand upon the administration OF
military justice. The evidence seems
fatty to contradict you unless this turns
out to be one of those rare instances
where what appears as compelling EVIL
dence turns out upon explanation TO be
rare coincidence.
Baker Is Questioned.
81 regard It as due to yourself. to me
| as n member Of Congress and to the pub
| lie at large that you respond to the fol-
| lowing questions:
why did you send to France for
needed Brigadier-Ge when ono was
already in the office?
Had not Gen. Ansell been denoted
would Gen. Kreger, upon his arrival at
the Office. have been the senior officer or
| the Judge Advocate Generals Corps?
WAS not Gen. Ansell senior to Gen.
Kreger as a Brigadier-General by seven
months?
WAS not Gen. Ansell in charge OF the
Office throughout the greater part or the
war and were not his services In that
capacity such as to cause you to award
him the Distinguished Service Medal Just
| previously to his testimony before the
Senate Committee on Military Affairs?
Have you not recently authorized an
increase by new appointments to the
| ONCE OF Judge Advocate General?
us not Gen. Ansell the first General
Officer in the Judge Advocate General s
| Department to be demoted7
WAS not Gen. Kreger especially ap-
pointed Brigadier- General for an
| office in France which you abolished the
day you ordered him home? In any
event, upon the adjustment of his ONCE
was not he the logical officer to be de-
NOTED?
No Real Authority.
You say Gen. Anser will continue TO
be chairman of the clemency board
Now that he is denoted Is he the senior
officer on the board. and IL not the senior
officer under existing law what authority
can no exercise over the board?
| I'm the face of tho fact that Gen.
Ansell was the senior to Gen. Kreger in
his own corps and his senior in the
grade Of Brigadier- General by the larger
| part OF the entire list +; and OF the fact
! that Gen. Ansell had served with and for
tho most part as the chief of the ONCE
! throughout the war. and tho other not
at all and of the fact that he would
| by virtue OF his seniority have sue
ceeded to the headship OF the ONCE in
the absence of Gen. Crowder, notwith-
standing the presence of Gen. Kreger in
the ofiice: Of the further fact that Gen.
Ansell's views are opposed by the Judge
Advocate General and by yourself and
that just before he gave his testimony
you had awarded him a medal for most
| distinguished service az acting head OF
the Office, but shortly after ne had testi-
fed, indeed the day after Congress ad-
tourned, you ordered him denoted and
superseded-in the face of these facts
please state how IL can be said that this
demotion had no connection with the
dispute about military Justice