The Washington times., 1919-06-17
MILITARY REFORMS
URGED BY JOHNSON

Continued from First PaEe)
reant Jehrries. Mr.. Johnson added.
only fans the discomfort OF these
insane. diSlOyal or criminal aEitatoTs.
MAY I suggest that the Bureau of
Military Intelligence might reform
, itself from the inside
! Mr.. Johnson read into the Record
a copy of a letter ne received from
. :, rgeant Jeffries. in which the latter
detailed his experiences at Camp
/ Devens.
Before ! had been al Camp Devens
. an hour I was quite rudely jerSed up
I by a captain and a lieutenant while
! sitting talking to the members of
my old company. Company L, and ac-
: cused OF spreading Illegal prOpagan-
( da" wrote Sergeant Jeffries-
My personal effects were search
c.i and / was questioned very rude
, ~ as TO my past life and present in
! tcntiOns. The men all EanEed round
and vCuched for me, claiming me as
: their own. and this saved me from
violence and from restraint for the
/ Time being.
/ Later in the day. just as I was
about to say goodbye to the men
1 TO many Of them for the last time.
. perhaps was seized i'm "A dramatic
I
/ press the soldiers. and whirled away
| in car driven by colonel. with
/ other officers assisting.
| drilled for Two Hours.
They took me to an office in tho
] camp. Ny portfolio and handbag
were taken from me. and I was sub
( jccted to an inquiry lasting about
I two hours. the record being kept BY
I a Stenogra pher. The camp intelligence
| r~fc"~ did most Of tho questioning.
: but the colonel took a hand quite
! ,Lr.tly. ana they seemed to be
/ sure that they had caught a red
! handed BOlshevik.
Among my papers they found
| copies Of speeches which you had
made in Congress on the court
martial witty certain passaged marked
| in lead pencil: also Congressional
/ Record with some Of the speeches OF
Senator Chamberlain marked. and a
1 copy OF an address which Lieutenant
/ Colonel Ansell delivered a short time
faEO at the commencement exercises
} in his old home town in North Caro-
! lima. and a copy Of House Bill. No.
3GI. entitled a Bill 10 Establish Mill
/ tary Justice" which was introduced
/ by YOU"
There were also in the effects Of
! Sergeant Jeffries copies Of the articles
of the American Military Reform As
ISOLATION.
| The sergeant was given a receipt
for the papers. He appealed to Con-
gresham Johnson To assist him in
! having them returned.
Mr.. Johnson asked that the pamPh-
/ let setting forth the aims Of the
/ American Military Reform Associa-
ton be read into the Record.
Purposes of Association.
The purposes OF the association as
{ set forth in the pamphIe'. follow:
Immediate and unconditional abOli-
/ ton Of all forms Of censorship OF let
| ters and publications.
| Complete restoration or the rights
OF free speech and a rec press. includ-
/ ing the right 10 criticise the Govern
ment. the army and the navy. and Of
/ fcials. both civil and military.
An immediate reform of the court
/ martial system along the lines pro-
posed and recommended in Senate
| bill No. IA introduced by senator
| Chamberlain. and House bill. No. 367
| by Representative Johnson, in the
| FIRST session Of the Sixty-SiNth Con-
| grees. in the interests o justice. hu-
/ manity and efficiency. as opposed to
| dcsPotiC. tyrannical personal author
| ity and sO-Called CXpedienCy.
An immediate review Of all courts
/ martial cases by an unprcjUdiced
1 judicial tribunal. vested with full
/ powers and Jurisdiction. to the end
| that in so far as may now be possible.
/ Justice may be done in all cases whore
I sentences have been illegally imposed
| or appear 10 be Of undue severity
. Change In system.
\ change in our national military
| system wherein all dcSpOtic auto
/ cratic arbitrary authority now held
/ by officers is entirely removed.
4 wherein the line OF demsrC8tion N