Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1919-03-07
GEN ANSELL DENOUNCEs
COURT MARTIAL SYSTEM


Washington. D. c.. March IL
Members OF both branches OF con-
sress are deeply stirred over the rev
Citations OF the atrocities OF the sys-
TEN OF court-martial now existing in
the United States army. as made By
Brigadier General Samuel T. Ansell.
acting judge advocate general. be-
fore the senate committee on military
affairs. As result OF these dlsclos-
ures, It Is practically certain Senator
Chamberlain's bill. backed by the re-
publicans In the senate. revising the
whole military court-martial system.
will be passed. Moreover. II has In
timated that some of the officers con-
shutting the court-marial may them
selves have TO make a defense OF
their actions before the senate CON-
mittee.
General Anssll says the existing
system ID ''intolerable" and "atro-
oiously bad" infiictIng upon sol
diers heavy and long terms in pris-
on and even the death penalty for
comparatively trivial offensea. He
said he had attempted to get a mod
ificatioh of the system but that his
superior officers. backed by Secre-
tary of War Baker. had refused to
permit the system TO be humanised
THE sentences imposed for slight
offences by the eourt-maFtial have
shocked every sense of justice" said
General Ansell. They have reached
the heights OF injustice. The SEN
fences in many instances bore no rea-
sonable relationship TO the offenses
committed"
Cursed with Red Tape.
For forty years the army has been
cursed with red tape In it's court |
martial proceedings. Terrible In
justices have been inflicted upon
small offenders. The whole system
is wrong.
81 realize that am arraigning an
Institution to which belong. But / |
am doing It so that ample justice
may be done the men in the ranks.
We need more humanity in our judg-
ment OF their offenses. We have not |
shown H. For the sake OF our men
and their families we must put an
end to this cruel system. and we
must do II at once"
A large proportion Of the instances
IF injustice occurred in the United
jtates, but General Ansell cited some
4 them from France.
Upon a soldier in France, General
Ansell said, the death sentence had
been imposed for declining to drill
after having been subjected to ex-
IRENE exposure to cold for twenty
four hours. He insisted he was not
able to stand. Two others were SEN
fenced to death for sleeping on post,
after having been on duty for four
days with hardly any sleep. General
Ansell set these sentences aside, he
said. after the war department had
declined to act.
''It> must be remembered" said
General Ansell. that these men sell
dom have adequate counsel and don't
know how to defend themselves. The
government is represented by able ,
counsel, and the offender has all the {
odds against him"
An a result Of General Ansell,s /,
testimony, the senate committee on
military affairs decided 70 summon
Secretary Baker. He will be asked !
to explain TO the committee and the ,
country why he ordered special lem
.eney toward conscientious objee- {
tors" who brazenly refused to obey
any military discipline and finally
ordered their honorable discharge,
their pardon out Of prison. payment !
IF all back money and equipment
with complete new civilian outfit,
while at the same time he refused 70 /
modify system which sent boys will !
Ing and ready to tight for their flag
TO the federal prison for ten to TWEEN
~ years for minor violations OF milf !
tary law. 4
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