Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1920-07-22
ARMY U c

"lS6 uSS0II6u CQSlT 1nI0T6SIS.
ARMY COURT FACTS
Late reports show that during q
little more than a year Of our par
ttcipation in the World war, there
were 1926, 1000 inferior court and $4,000
general court cases in the army. OF
the cases brought against enlisted
men, 90 per cent we're tried, and 81
per cent of these resulted in convic-
ton. The average sentence was about
sever years. OF the total number OF
enlisted men it would appear, there
fore, that one in every ten was brought
before the bar Of military justice.
The war department, in defending
the military cour system, points out
that at the present time there are
fewer general military prisoners in
prisons and disciplinary barracks than
on April 6, 1917. This statement
would indicate that most of those re-
ceiving severe treatment and long SEN
lSas{ IL S2Yl byll rs T Egkl Ehv& NRs ZEE fE go.
that this proves. II any proof were
needed. that the great objective before
the army court was to enforce discip-
line and not to administer Justice"
There is thus evidently good grounds
for believing that the army courts
were used to punish men as a means of
bolsterfng up incompetent leadership
rather than to secure what we think
Of Is justice.
The American Legion Weekly also
quotes the judge advocate general,
under whom the largest number of
army cases were reviewed for correc-
ton and clemency, as saying: "(a)
That go per cent of the court-martial
cases ought not to have been tried:
(b) that according to a reasonable,
common and untechnical stand
ard 70 per cent Of the cases were not
we'll tried; (c) that 20 per cent were
so poorly tried that the record can not
be relied upon at all, and (d) that in
Is per cent Of the convictions the
punishment awarded was such as to
shock the conscience"
WI ~ Els
After less than a year Of activities
on a large SCALE" says the Christian
Herald, the movement Tin the church
world) faces complete collapse, not
because 1T was not doing it's. work but
a some UNCONVENTIONAL leaders
for some reason or other refuse the
measure of cooperation rightfully ex-
pected of them" In general it an
pears that the promised support from
men of large finance has not been
Forthcoming. For some time organs
that speak for big business have been
warning the Interchurch World move
ment of the danger Of what they call
"radlcalism." And it would seem that
the failure of the financiers to gain
control of the Interchurch movement
n to dictate it's entire policy ia re-
sponsible for their denial of the nrom.
ised support.
A sweeping survey of the steel in.
dustry seems to have been one of the
Things which has reused the ire Of
big slnes The survey was plan
ned as a means of formulating a pro.
gressive industrial policy to bridge
the gulf between those who look onlv
for an entirely new order and the
forces of conservatism" and recog.
nizes that "the conflict between the
principles Of Jesus Christ and an in.
dustrial system based upon competi.
ton is sharply drawn" Agents of the
steel trust sought to purchase this re.
port and PLACED agents with instruc.
lions to steal it. But the general com,
mittee OF the movement has decided to
print a brief abstract OF this compre
hensive report.
Much more of an intensely interest
ing nature will develop around this
struggle in the near future.
San Francisco-The United States
circuit court OF appeals denied a peti,
H. tiny, fAr nhaarlr- am 80 -