Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-03-29
Anscll and Crowtlcr

IF' tho demand upon the Secretary of War
for further information regarding the de-
motion of Rrigadier-General Ansoll. for a
time acting tudge-advocate G general. had come
from less hostile source than from Senator
Chamberlain, il would undoubtedly have
more weight with Mr. Baker and be taken
more seriously by the country. The Oregon
Senator has been consistently aligned with
those forces in the country which have bat
tered away at the War Department since the
!! beginning of the war. He has stood against
the administration OF Mr. Baker and, as
chairman OF the powerful Committee on Mil
itary Affairs he has been in a position to
force the secretary into state of war Mt
home while the army engaged in war abroad.
Even so. issue has been made of the
Ansell-Crowder affair The younger man ap-
peared before congressional committee and
revealed what 10 his mind an abuse by
General Crowder of power in eXacting mill
tary justice. Later he was returned to his
pre-war rank and relieved of his duties as
acting dge-advocatc general. He has
charged that his demotion is attributable
solely to his fearlessness in exposing a grave
instance OF administration. He claims
that he is being punished by the department
and made to suffer because he discharged n
solemn duty to Congress. General Crowder
has replied that his subordinate is an in
trlguer; that he was infinitely more interested
in succeeding TO the appointment of Judge
advocate general than in the abstract cues
ton of military justice, and that his demo-
ton was ordered without reference whatever
to testimony given by General Ansell before
Congress.
On it's face this whole business seems to
be nothing more or less than an Office row
between bureaucrats. Secretary Baker has
rejoinder from General Ansell. but he, too
apparently takes the view that the contro-
versy is not worthy of public airing and has
refused to give out the younger officers reply
1t is this which has brought upon him the
demand from Senator Chamberlain that the
Ansell defense be given out Apparently
however there is no occasion for this The
senator's extended communication to Secre-
tary Baker probably contains the whsle An
case--acts and circumstances which some
one very close to the officer must have con-
tded to the Senator
1t will be difficult TO convince the country
by Whatever postwar processes, that General
Crowder has been unfaithful to his duty.
Ihat officer is an autocrat. This the country
knows. Congress knows it, The War De-
partment knows it. He made that evident
10 the whole nation when, as provost-ma rshal-
general, he undertook the execution of the
selective draft system. In order to safe
guard the integrity OF this draft he was com
PEELED to set his face against every sort of
influence He was compelled to steel himself
against pressure from every quarter He
stood against Congress itself He stood
against the army when the army was on the
wrong side of question. The country owes
debt TO Enoch Crowder in tina, connection
on which il can only pay in gratitude and
good will.
No man could have been more autocratic
than was General Crowder as provost-mar-
sha!-general. and he is no doub, pretty much
the same sort Of an officer, as judge-adyocate-
general. But this does not condemn him
ne may have been rigid in his conceptions
o. justice, but his honesty and faithfulness
nave tsen proven. and when neither can be
questioned in al official. il is hard 10 make
case against him.