The New York herald., 1921-12-09
III HANCINGS LISTED
| BY A. {. F. DEFENDER
Col. Bethel, Pershing Aid,
Disputes Charges by
Watson.
81 SAVED FROM DEATH
Eye Witnesses May Have
Seen Executions as
Authorized.
SENATOR REMAINS FIRM
French Never Tried Ameri-
cans, Says Veteran Officer,
Once Judge Advocate.
SENATOR REMAINS FIRM

WASHINGTON, Dec. S.-Detailed rec
ords of the War Department relating
to the legal execution of eleven men,
bers of the A. E. F. were presented
to-day to Senate investigating COM
mittee by way of denial OF charges
that scores OF soldiers had been hanged
without trial. Out OF consideration for
the families of the dead the names of
the eleven werc omitted from the
record.
Read by Col. Walter E. Bethel. Gen.
Pershings Judge Advocate General In
France, the records showed that those
executed by the military authorities
included eight negroes, two whites and
one Indian.
Senator Watson (Ga.), Democrat
whose presentation Of the charges on the
floor of the Senate led to the investiga-
ton. appeared before the committee as
soon as 1t convened. He said he was
prepared to prove the chsrges and sub
mitted affidavits, newspaper clippings
and letters on the subject.
Calls Charges False.
Col Bethel, who was called after
Senator Watson had read several afi-
davits. asserted with great emphasis
that the charges were false.
Senator Watson is expected to pre-
sent tomorrow as witnesses n list of
former service men and others, includ-
ing a prisoner at Fort Leavenworth.
who have claimed to have direct knowl-
edge In support of the general charge
that there had been wholesale execution
Of soldiers who had not had the right
of trial by court-martial.
In naming the places in France at
which the eleven men were hanged, Col.
Bethel, under cross-examination by
Senator Watson. mentioned the town Of
Gieyres at which, according to informa-
ton given to the Senator by former
soldiers, men were executed. The photo
graph of the gallows at Gievres, sent
some time ago to the Senator, was not
shown to Col. Bethel. although he de-
clared that a galiows had been erected
there, for II was at Gievres that one
sentence OF the military court was car
ried out
The officer also denied that American
soldiers had been hanged after convic-
ton by a French military court. as
serting that under the articles of war
jurisdiction over such cases was vested
solely in the American Army and that
as a matter of fact the French authori-
ties did not desire to try Americans
charged with crimes against French
citizens.
Soldiers May He Confused.
There was a rather broad intimation
that II might be necessary to divulge
the names of the soldiers executed. be-
cause of the belief in the minds Of
some investigators that soldiers with
stories of Wholesale hangings" might
havs been confused after seeing or
hearing OF the hanging of those found
guilty and sentenced by military court.
AS Senator Watson proceeded with the
reading of affidavits and letters Chair
man Brandegee announced that the af-
fiant, or writer, would be summoned
to get at the truth.
Gen. Pershing. as the supreme COM
mander on foreign soil in time of war,
personally approved the court findings
in the cases OF the eleven men hanged
and refused to approve the findings In
eleven other cases carrying the death
sentence. Altogether sixty-two men
were sentenced to death, but Col. Bethel
said only eleven were executed
Most of the crimes were against
women and children. One of the white
soldiers hanged was convicted of mur-
dering another soldier and the other
was found guilty of attacking an eight
! year-old Belgian girl A French pro-
fessor was murdered while trying to
project an old woman, and the father
of q girl was killed by two negroes as
he fought against great odds to save
| her.