The Washington herald., 1920-10-16
DANIELS ORDERS
COURTPROBE OF
HAITI KILLINGS
CALLS BARNETT
TOBAREFACTS
Atrocity Charges Against
Marines to Be Sifted to
Bottom.
CBy universaI serrios.D

kby Univerta serv1oe.l
Secretary OF the Navy Daniels
yesterday ordered a court OF in
quiry to make exhaustive investi-
cation into "indiscriminste killing
Of natives in Haiti by American
maI ires, as charged by Gen. George
B. Barnett, former commandant Of
the court, in his report.
Admiral Henry T. Mayo, Admiral
J. H. oliver and Brig. Gen. Pendle-
ton were named as members Of the
court. They are authorized 20 send
/, for all persons and papers and sitt
every particle Of evidence so thai
any man in American uniform guilty
Of wrOngdoing in Haiti may be
| brought to trial
Gen. Barnett. on his way to his
new command in San Francisco, was
halted at Chicago by a telegram
sent from Secretary Daniels. order
ing him to return here to testify
Gems Lejeune and Butter and Col
Russell, who is now in Haiti. also
will be summoned
! Court Martial ordered
! In addition to taking these steps
to get at the bottom Of the Ameri-
/ can administration OF Haitian af-
( fairs, Secretary Daniels ordered the
Judge Advocate OF the Navy De-
partment to proceed at once vita
the court martial of every person
whose name has been mentioned in
| connection with the alleged stroci-
/ ties. This includes Mai Clarke X
/ Wells, former commander Of the
4 gendsrmerie in North Haiti, who
was charged by Col Russell WITH
having been responsible for tho.
conditions prevailing in that part
Of the island.
A number Of other officers and
privates OF the Marine Corps are
to be subjected to court martial
! proceedings.
Secretary Daniels also stated that
the original report made by Col
Russell upon which Gen. Barnett
based his statement that the admin
4 istration Of the island had beer
Without right or justice" has mys-
tericusly disappeared.
Original Report Dissppears.
1t cannot be found anywhere IN
the department, he said. Gen. Bar
nett's report, which was made public
on Wednesday OF this week, he said,
conveyed to him the FIRST intimAtion
he had ever had that affairs were as
bad as Gen. Barnett found them to
be. He said he asked Gen. Barnett
for Col. Russells report and was in
formed that Gen. Barnett did not
have it: search OF the fle in the
CommandSnt's office failed to dis
close its whereabouts, although Col.
~ =.
Quiry said he mailed IL TO the de-
Partment on March 20 last.
Secretary Daniels explained that
in January Of this year Gen. Bar
nett reported to him that certain
Marines in Haiti had apparently
been uilty Of unlawful acts in the
latter part OF September, 1918. He
recommended an investigation. Sec
retary Daniels said he Immediately
wrote across the face Of Gen. Bar
netts communication the following
Endorsement:
The action taken is approved,
and the department desires that
this investigation be expedited and
proper steps be taken in accordance
with the views expressed above"
Not Aware of Letter.
Secretary Daniels asserted that
he supposed the orders had been
followed out and that a full in
vestigation had been made. he
added:
I never knew of the existence
Of Gen. Bsrnetts letter TO Col Rus
sell or heard OF any indiscriminate
killins until / read Gen. Barnett's
report this week. and ! am sure he
never meant to convey what these
nTdE
mesn," explained Mr. Daniels.
When he called my attention to
several cases, ] approved his sug-
gestion that the matter be gone
Into thoroughly and that all guilty
parties be punished.
l supposed, of course, that the or
der for the investigation and the
trial Of the guilty parties had pro-
ceeded in accordance with my di-
rections for August when inquiry
was made the report could not be
found in the Marine Corps htad-
quarters. A cablegrsm was sent to
Col. Russell in Haiti to ask about
the rtsult OF the investigation. He
wired that the report had been
mailed in March. When Il could
not be found, directed Gen. Le-
jeune and Gen. Butler TO proceed to
Haiti and make an Investigation
They did so and brought back with
them a copy of Col Russelrs re-
port
Secretary Daniels said he would
not attempt to offer any explana-
tion for the disappearance Of the
original report He said "a number
OF things might have happened to
it," that Il might have fallen into
the hands OF some officer guilty OF
the cruelties, for instance, or that Il
might have been lost in trsnsporta-
tion from Haiti. He declared he
would not accuse anyone Of having
deliberately attempted to suppress
it
Inquiry I'm Hsyd Thorough
| Generals Lejeune and Butler re-
ported that they interviewed all
lofficers OF the Marine Corps and Of
the Gendsrmerie OF Hoyti who had
any knowledge Of the affair, as
well as number OF enlisted gen
ldsrmes, Haytisn officials, and mem
,bers of the clergy. They found that
much OF the trouble grew out Of the
refusal by United States officials 10
abolish the system of ~corvee,- or
enforced road labor, at Hinche and
lMaissade.
During November and December.
IlslS. and January. 1918. several
bandit prisoners were Illegally exc
fcuteo at Hinch by gendsrmec, and
strong evidence was obtained thar
tGarnier Jean, the notary al Mais-
sade, was killed by the gendai We
nHifar m dnfN fhars