Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-03-07
PRESIDENT
WILL I'll 7
SENTENCES
AID FOR SOLDIERS
Harsh Terms Imposed by
Courts-MartiaI viii Be Re-
duced, States General
CrOWder

After Major Gen. Crowder's
testimony before the senate mill
tary affairs committee that within
sixty days all excessive prison
sentences imposed on American
soldiers during the war are to be
reduced through the power of the
president, it was learned that a
direct appeal to President Wilson
for a general amnesty for all i'm
prisoned soldiers had been made
by the 5S1 military prisoners con-
fined in the United States federal
penintentiary at Fort Leaven-
worth, Kan.
"The men here feel that they
would rather be filling a soldiers
grave in France today than to be
obliged to spend years behind
penitentiary walls as a result Of
unjust courts-martial procedure, "
were the concluding words of the
chairman of the military prison
ers' committee which framed the
resolution at a remarkable mass
meeting held in the prison chapel,
details of which are first published
in the Evening World today.
The military prisoners them
selves made a sharp distinction
between their orderly method of
procedure and that employed by
the men in the disciplinary bar
racks, who went On strike and or
ganiZed a soviet to enforce their
demands. Eve are not surround
ed by the environments prevalent
at the barracks and therefore will
hot follow their example," declar-
ed the chairman Of the military
prisoners sending the resolution to
the president. 1--WE will endeavor
to achieve success by proceeding
in a respectful and orderly man
ner."
Held a Meeting
So first a letter was sent to
Deputy Warden Fletcher, asking
him to designate time when mill
itary prisoners might use the
chapel to frame a resolution with
view to obtaining a general am
nesty for all military prisoners
tried, convicted and sentenced
during the time the United States
was a factor in the war" The
prison chaplain was asked to act
as chairman of the meeting and
the warden was urged to notify all
military prisoners and to have a
stenographer present.
The resolution for general am
nesty, it was stated, would be
based upon the following facts
and reasons"
Excessive sentences.
Unfair trials.
Inadequate defense.
Accused being brought to trial
without being afforded sufficient
time to confer with counsel or Sc
cure evidence in his behalf.
1ncompetency of personnel of
courts.
insufficient evidence to warrant
convictions.
Trial of accused after being
held in confinement forty or more
days.
Evident prejudice of trial Of
ficers in many cases.
Failure Of judge advocate gen
eral to properly review proceed
ings of cases and correct injustice
done at proper time.
From the many startling facts
coming to light in the cases of
men sent to this institution it is
but reasonable to believe that the
war departm ent was not much
concerned as to whether their &C
ton would some time be weighed
on the scales Of justice and found
wanting" the chairman of the
military prisoners committee de-
clared at the mass-meeting. '"The
Irregularities coming to light do
appear to be merely cases of error
excusable during the war condi-
tions. 1t is much more serious
situation. It is quite apparent to
many c. us :fat a man once con-
fined is finding it almost impos-
sible to feel that requests for
clemency or for review of cases
with a view of correcting injus-
tees will meet with proper con-
sideratiOn.