The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-11-04
SOLDIER HANGING
CHARGE RENEWED
ON SENATE FLOOR
Tom Watson Submits
Letters From Would
Be Witnesses. T

The controversy over the alleged
execution of American soldiers
without trial in France continued
to rage in the Senate yesterday.
Senator Tom Watson. Of Georgia.
rose to a question of personal privi-
ieee and submitted letters and tele-
grams from former service men Of
fering to show proof of his
charges.
Republican and Democratic lead
ers had a conference with Senator
Watson and attempted to reach an
agreement to abandon the inquiry Of
watson's allegations by a special
committee of the Senate. Senator
Watson had previously refused to
recognize the authority Of the COM
miftee to summon him As a witness
and in view Of his attitude the
suggestion was made that the COM
mittee be discharged. When ar
rangements had been made to carry
OUT this suggestion. unexpected OPP
position arose and plans became un-
certain.
Shows Newspaper Clippings.
The Georgia Senator insisted that
he would not appear before the spe-
cial committee, but would present
hisIevidence on the floor Of the Sem
atsy
Yesterdays fare-up broke out
when Senator Watson presented
clippings from the Passaic IN. j.
Journal of July 20, 1919, purporting
to give statements of comrades OF
Private Frank Frye. of Paterson.
of Company ID, 309th Infantry. to
the effect that he was bayoneted
to death for refusing to carry q
gun. According to the Passaic
Jo9fnal. Frye. conscientious
obtsctor. was bayoneted through the
heart by a private soldier who had
been detailed to guard him. Sena-
tor Frelinghuysen. of New Jersey,
told the Senate he had Investigated
the statement and found that the
soldier who bayoneted Frye was
twice tried by court-martial and ac-
quilted.
Mentions wealthy.
of course" commented Senator
Watson, the life OF a private SOL
der in France is nothing here in
Henry Ford, who did not send his
Ter. who did not send his son to
Tight"
Senator Watson took advantage
of the occasion to pay his respects
to Senator Wadsworth. of New
York, chairman of the Military AZ
fairs Committee. He referred to
~
Barnes, of New York. a crook"
Tt has been but a few hours"
Senator Watson said, since / was
put on the rack in a most insolent,
bridal and supercilious manner by
of New York. a crook, a man whom
Theodore Roosevelt called a crook.
Hes sued Roosevelt for damages,
whereupon Roosevelt went into
court and proved Barnes to be a
crook"
Photo Of Gievres Gallows.
Referring to the photograph OF
the galIows at Gievres, which he
exhibited during Tuesdays debate
Senator Watson said:
That picture was photographed
by a Georgia soldier, who Is now
Fastening to Washington. He added
that he would appoint the soldier
as one of his secretaries so tina,
he can stand BY me here in the Sen
ate and back up my statements"
Senator Watson exhibited two il
Illustrations from the Passaic Daily
HERALD. one Of an American SOL
der being prepared for execution
and the other of man actually
dying on the gallows. Senator
Edge. of New Jersey. stated that
one of the men was a negro "who
killed F:enchman when the lat
ter interviewed in an attack by the
negro upon a child and the other
that Of another soldier who crimi-
nally assaulted a 7-year-old French
girl, who afterwards died.