The sun., 1919-07-24
admits TRUTH OF
CRUELTY CHARGES
90
Gen. March Informs House
= Committee That Reports
- Were Confirmed.
,GUILTY BEING PUNISHED
Chief Of Staff Tells of Convic-
tons of ''Hard Boiled"
Smith and Others.
speciai Despdtch to Tun Sun.


II WASHINGTON, July 23.-Gen. Per-
Ithing in cable messages to the War De-
Epartment has confirmed the reports OF
brutal treatment of American soldiers
by the military police OF Paris. Chief OF
STAR March this afternoon told the spe-
;eial House subcommittee investigating
conditions abroad. Gen. March, in an
iswer to questions of committee men,
sbers, admitted that practically all the
cruelty charges recently made are true,
but the army officials are Furnishing or
will punish the officers guilty Of the bru-
tally.
h A report by Gen. Pershing on condi-
tions at Farm No. 2, which was es-
tablished late in 1918 to collect soldiers
absent without leave, was read by Gen.
March. Some of the hardest mon in
the A. E r." were sent there, Gen.
Pershing said, and most of the brutal
treatment is charged UP to this farm.
In charge were Lieut. f. II. ('Hard
Boiled'') Smith, Lieut.. Charles Joseph
Mason, Lieut. Helfenstein and Sergeant
Clarence @. Ball. These men were
brought to trial in the latter part OF
December for abuses committed on
American prisoners In the two previous
months.
Hard Boiled" Smith was found
guilty on four out Of seven charges for
issuing unlawful orders to subordinates
TO practice brutality on four out OF
sever" charges Of striking prisoners Gun
,snessarily himself, and on one charge OF
stealing property. He was sentenced to
three years imprisonment, but this later
was reduced to eighteen months. which
he is now serving In addition, he will
be dismissed from the service.
charges OF perjury and being drunk and
disorderly. Lieut.. Helfenstein was con-
Victed of isuing orders for brutal treat
fment. Sergeant Ball was found guilty
on fve specifications of striking pris-
,oners and on two counts of using harsh
language, Gen. Pershing reported.
3 Gen. March also read a report from
Col. ]. Leslie Kinkaid, Judge Advocate,
and Col ]. Mayhem Wainwright inspec-
tor General OF the Twenty-seventh d.
vision. that conditions rivalling Siberia
EXISTED in the prison camps in and ad-
jacent to Paris," that the evidences OF
Brutality were overwhelming and that
such conditions would not be tolerated
under civil authority.
+ Questioning by Gen. March brought
out that the superior Officers OF the Of
Ulcers convicted of brutality has not
been punished but was sent to can
ming facto~," at Blois. Gen. March was
not sure of the higher officers names,
but promised to place this information
with his record before the committee.
e A report Of Col T. Q. Donaldson, in
spector general to the Acknowledgement
of the army. also was presented. which
substantiated the charges recently made
by Sergeant Major Beckman OF New
York, with the exception that he knew
of no prisoner committing suicide.
NI,A ,tNny-
as presented before this committee were
facts. Is It not?' Chairman Johnson
us. d. asked.
w YES" replied Gen. March. with the
few minor exceptions l have noted. But
IL want to assure the committee we are
making every effort to punish the guilty
; parties"