Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-08-01
DEM|NG EDITOR
WHO SERVED IN
FRANCE ACCUSES
THE HIGHER Ups
Captain Clyde f, Ely Says
GrinStead and HardboiIed
Smith Were No More Brutal
Than Expected To Be,
PART OF EXPEDITIONS
GENERAL POLICY
Tells Circumstance in Which
He Was Reprimanded for
Delaying March to Feed and
Rest Men Tired Out,


Deming, n. NJ, July 31.-That he
was instructed to exercise greater
severity in sentencing men; that rec
concentrations he made for clemency
were disregarded; that on at least one
occasion he was reprimanded for the
treating of prisoners considerably
and that in his opinion Colonel Edgar
L. Grinstead and Lieutenant Frank II.
Smith were selected to have jurisdic-
tion over Farm No. at Chelles,
France, because of their supposedly
"hardboiled characteristics, were dec
larations made in a statement tonight
by Captain Clyde Earl Ely of DEM
ing, New Mexico.
Cptain Ely was summary court of
ficer of the 145th machine gun bat
talon, a part of the 4Oth division.
Colonel Grinstead and Lieutenant
Smith, whose names have figured
prominently in testimony given before
the congressional committee investi-
eating treatment of army prisoners in
France, were officers of the 15Sth in
fantry, also a part of the Fortieth
division.
Selected for Purpose.
Captain Elys statement said:
Colonel Grinstead and Lieutenant
Smith were selected (to have charge
at the fann) under the sanction OF
Major General Frederick S. Strong,
commanding the 10th, selected for the
characteristics which they We're sup
posed to possess of being 'hardbolled.'
This, according to word bruited
about. was in line with a general pol
icy of the American EXpeditionary
Forces for ruthless repression.
The A. f. f. as a whole was never
interested in the manner in which the
prison camps were conducted. Most
officers and privates were there for
a serious purpose and kept away from
them"
But in an army of two million
there were many mental detectives
and many with criminal records or
tendencies. These naturally gravitat-
ed toward the prisons and their con-
troll was one of the greatest problems
of the higher commanders. Brutal
repression seemed to be the answer
that appealed to many of them.
Limits Removed.
"It was made known to me as sum
mary court martial officer of the
145th machine battalion. and also as
"a member of courts martial that
executive and statutory limits were
off and that sentences of greater
severity must be imposed.
Likewise we learned of the sever
ity of the regime at the prison camps.
Word went forth that they were "a
he'll of place to land
"I believed that Colonel Grinstead
and Lieutenant Smith did only what
they had direct or implied orders to
do and that the higher command was
responsible for the policy under which
these orders were carried out. In this
state only what L think l could
prove.
II personally handled some of the
men that had been maltreated and
was once reprimanded for delaying
march to rest them up and feed them.
was told by headquarters: You can
not be good to these men, They were
hungry, ill-conditioned and it took six
trucks making several trips (each) to
pick uo the stragglers who were too
weak to walk"