Norwich bulletin., 1919-08-28
NORWICH
 WELDING co. Fsrmsr'y sraseh sf cavs Wsssins Co. 31 Chestnut Stress, Phone 214 Norwieh.
DIVIDED ON LEoALfTY OF
 EXECUTION OF EpiTR cAVELI

| Baltimore, Md., Aug. 27-Execu ! ton by the Germans of Miss EdftI cavell.. the English nurse. whicf aroused the Indignation of the allies world, was in accordance with tht l laws of ''civilized warfare" accordins to minority report of the committed on military law of the American BaI Association. made public here today were prepared by the committee
 which was apppointed to investigate
 courtsmartial and suggest reforms in
 military law.
 The reference to the case of Miss
 Caveu was made by $. $. Gregory,
 of Chicago, chairman of the commit
 tee. and was concurred in by Judge
 William r. Bynunl of Greensboro, N.
 vocat ting abolition of the death penalty
 fer women convicted of Infringing rrii1-
 ita-v law. In his report MT. Gregory
 said:
 i.A careful. consideration of the ca
 of Miss Edith Cavell. one of the most
 rathetic and appealing victims of the great war. whose unfortunate fate has aroused the sympathy and excited ths
 me to the conclusion that she was exc cuted in accordance with the laws and usag ges Of what we are pleased com roonly to refer to as civilized war fare. i
 'Thjs being so. 1t has seemed to me a1ite inconsistent with our condemn ation of those who thus took her life to retain in our own system Of mtli- tary justice those provisions of law which were relied unon bv the Ger man military authorities in ordering her execution. The mere fact that her trial was attended by the brutali- ty and duplicity which commonly n,arked the exercise of military pow CT by the German command. dohs not alter this aspect of the case. This Is not a subject upon which I desire to reason at any length, for it is one as to which the i'm pulses of the heart can much better be relied upon than any sophisticated and artificial reas- o,1ing.
 .sF'er us to take any other course. it seems to me. is to innpeacf our sin cerity and good faith in criticisirg the German authorities II this regard, and to. warrant the suggestion that such criticism is inspired rather by the ia l that ! they. our enemies, were respensi- good and worthy woman than any 1 we'll considered Judgment in the mat i ter"
 Themajority members. of. tbe. com plis: Martin Conhox of New York and i, Jobn Hincklex of Eattipnore, declared | they could not "concur in the sagges- De a provision prohihitinr tie dsath | penalty ir, the. case of women spits.s
 Tt would certai1Iz-. be insdvisahie l unless such provision were in the ,odes of all nations with whom wS would be at war; they said.
 The majority also declined to con ,lir in recomnendations of the minor ty that enlisted men sit On courts ,,artial and that special courts be The majority report as- 'Arted that although Eve believe sofie :hankes should be made, we ara sat- sfied that the errors which were corn nitted during -the recent war and the xckssivs penalties which were 1fo Ieubt oftsri imposed, were due large Y to thk ins1perisnce of those in con- rol and to the fact nd. oily that. we lad of necessity tp train an of11ehr lass over night for our volunteer rmy, but that our pra ctice in tic past f scattering our regular army, di- , -ided into battaIions, companies and ven smaller units over the country Iad made it ihlpcssibIe to trai nprup- rlv even our West Point of7cers'
 The najority members of tie com ,s nittee urged that greater efforts ne 1ade to cut down the time taken in , ringing prisoners to trial i1 order Q lessen their period Of c6nfnkment ] the guard house. eve are satisfied hat their associasti6ns fn tbc guard ! ouse nave rilined fDahy | hns sol- ter" they saiA