The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-12-23


NNE disadvantage of Congressional inquiries il
~ that there are many Judges, usually o
diverse mind, at least of two political groups
Another is that such inquiries are, by their nature
less regular and strict in procedure than in tn
courts; evidence may be given and featured in TIL
press and the rcbuttal, occurring perhaps days o
weeks later. Internationally sighted.
The sensational witness is liable to be the wit
ness who gets the ear of our millions
1t may be reflection in this vein which promp
the New York Times to issue a warning EDITORIAL,
against the acceptance, hook line and sinker o
the stories Of alleged atrocities against prvates il
the American Expeditionary Force by officers
which have been related before the Senate subcom
nittee sitting at behest of Senator Watson, o.
Georgia.
Says the Times
A humanitarian from France Great
Britain who heard Senator Watson's witnesses
testfying before the Senate subcommittee in
curing into his charges that American soldiers
had been hanged without trial by military courts
in France might we'll conclude, if he believed
all he heard, that the United States army
differed by untutored and unreclaimed saw
ages capable OF any atrocity. II half of the
stories told so glibly by demobilized soldiers
were true Americans would have to blush
for their country. What an indictment such ter
rible disclosures would be of the training, the
integrity, the honor Of the American officer, if
they were unassailable, if they not inven-
tons or emanatons from disordered minds, at
fected perhaps by shellshock! Hardly the
revolving stories told when indignant contradic-
tons come from the officers supposed to be I'M
plicated They will be called to the witness
chair, of course.
One George H. Taylor. a government STU
dent" at Philadelphia business college,
at the Tuesday session that, a member Of the
military police, he twelve soldiers hanged
at ls-sur- Tile between January and June. 1919.
hon he -ID tNtI th~
witness that he had not been court-martialed.
But according to the deponent, this
tried by French court. On cross-examination
it brought out that an American officer
presided judge advocate. The charge
assault upon a woman All that the witness
seemed to know of the trial in French court
in which an American officer acted as judge
that the white sergeant pleaded that the woman
was to blame. At least, that is what the con-
victed man told this singular witness before the
Senate Committee. He declared that after the
hanging he the white sergeants heart cut
from his body. This sounds like the worst that
can be told of Haitian execution. The wit
ness admitted that the condemned men might
have been tried by court-martial. There was
still the trial by the French court to be
planned. 1t appeared that this witness had been
gassed and injured in the head He has been
under government supervision for some time.
No sooner was Taylors testimony published
than Lieut.. Col. George H. Scruton, editor of
the Sedalia (Mo). Democrat, who was in charge
of the post quartermasters camp at ls-sur-Tie
l1Om DeCenDer y 1917, 10 july, 1919, declared
that during that time only two soldiers, one
negro and one white, were hanged, after court
martial and death sentence approved by the
highest authorities.
Senator Watson has caused sensation in
some quarters by exhibiting a photograph OF
gallows at Cievres, which, so he has been
informed, twenty-one soldiers had been hanged.
Col Bethel OF the judge advocate generals de-
partment sworc at previous hearing that in all
twelve soldiers were hanged at different places
in France, having been duly tried, convicted and
Tuesday the Senator's chief witness testified
that he had taken a photograph of gallows
at Gievres, but all he could say about the
twenty-one executions was that a guard whom
he did not know, his authority. The wit
ness could not give the name of the officer
under whom he served in France and it
turns out that the photograph the record
of prank of skylarking soldiers
A horror of the war was described by
other OF the Watson witnesses: Maj. Opie, of
the Twenty-ninth Division had shot down in
cold blood two unoffendng soldiers at the front.
From Stanton, Va, Mai Hiram L. Ope, of
the One Hundred and Sixteenth Infantry, an
officer decorated three times for bravery, sends
positive statement that not single man was
either shot for failure to do his duty or executed
in the whole Twenty ninth Division. A great
deal of time is being consumed by the Senate
committee in investigating the amazing charges
made on hearsay by the Georgia Senator, who
plumes himself on being an experienced lawyer;
given has shaken Col Bcthcps deposition that
twelve soldiers and were hanged in
France, in every case after court-martal and
affirmation of sentence by Gen. Pershng.
There has been some delay in appointing a