Evening star., 1921-11-04

absolutely without foundation"
\ new resolution ordering special
committee to Investigate charges OF
Senator Watson. democrat, Georgia,
regarding treatment Of privates in
the American expeditionary forces was
adopted unanimously today by the
Senate after two-hour wrangle.
Soon after Senator Watson present.
ed the bases for his charges favor
able committee report was mad" on
the resolution authorizing the special
committee appointed to inquire into
the charges to subpoena witnesses
and papers.
.'he Senate also adopted unani-
mously another resolution by Senator
Bandcgee, republican. Connecticut
chairman of the special committee,
authorizing the committee to sub
poena witnesses and documents. but
left unsettled the question as to the
exact charges of Senator Watson
which were to be Investigated.
Edge Flags Watson.
When the Senate convened an hour
earlier than usual to take up the
Watson charges. Senator Edge. repub-
liean, New Jersey. opened with severe
criticism of the Georgia senator for
attempting to place in the Congress
sional Record yesterday photograph
by the Army in France.
Senator Edge said that Mr. Watson
had not requested publication of the
article printed with the photograph
in a Passaic, n. j., newspaper. The
article showed, Mr.. Edge added. that
s& FD ~
er a court-martial for an attack on a
seWn-year-old French girl, who died
from the effects of the assault.
Senator Edge asked whether Sena-
tor Watson sought to justify his
charges of illegal executions without
a gallows used in a court-martial ex-
ecution.
American People Want Facts.
camoufaged," said Senator Edge. mo
one claimed that men were not tried
and executed. The picture of gallows
used for punishment of q brute Is no
justification Of the charges Of the SEN
ator from Georgia. He cannot cover
ductions he offered yesterday. The
American people want to know the facts.
to have the senator's charges proven or
disproven by uncontroverted evidence"
Replying to the New Jersey senator,
Senator Watson referred to the picture
showing the hanging Of the negro for an
attack on little French girl and de-
manded: "Since when has 1t become
legal to disgrace the uniform of the
American Army ky hanging it at the
end Of halter?"
The Georgia senator called attention
that in the casualty lists issued during
the war there appeared the phrase:
dead from other causes. and asked
what were those causes.
watson Takes up- Frye Case.
Taking up the case OF the soldier
speaker declared that he had a con-
stituent in Georgia who saw the COM
of that foul crime, than
which no German ever committed a
fouler," and that his affidavit would
be presented to the Senate as soon as
it could reach Washington.
Senator Watson told the Senate that
his charge that twenty-one American
soldiers had been hanged in France
without trial had been based on the
statement Of a soldier who said he had
seen the galIows and had been told
Der of men had been hanged. He read
a telegram from this soldier. whose
name was not disclosed. saying that
the gallows was at Gievres. France,
and that the guard had told him that
other men were to be hanged on it.
That's the number I said." declared
Senator Watson, referring to the
mentioned in the telegram.
That is the information on which /
based my statement"
Promises Facts for Senate.
The Georgia senator declared that
this soldier who, he said, had served
four years in the Army, would "face
the Senate and answer any question
as bravely as he had faced the Ger
mans"
Senator Watson asked If the War
Department would give the name of
the "gallows guard and others in
volved in the .Gievres execution.
Senator Wadsworth, republican, New
York, chairman Of the military COM
mittee, said that was what was pro-
posed by the Senate investigation,
ordered, he added, because the Georgia
senator indicated lack Of confidence
of the military committee by refusing
to come before it.
Senator Watson replied that he had
a constitutional right to present his
case in the open Senate and intended
"Expei me If you like for that" said
Senator watson to the republican
side. You've got the voles Go
ahead and do 1t. Is the republican ma
jority scared? Why not debate this
here in the open and meet me face to
face? Why try to entrap me and cage
me and silence me in a committee
room? If there's anything cheaper in
this country than human life it's
whitewashing committee report. No
body reads committee reports or has
any confidence in them"
Does the general stan want to hide
in the committee room?" Senator Wat
son continued. why not give the
facts to some senator and have him
face me here?
Fighting Military Clique.
Senator Watson said he was fighting
the military clique, the Prussianized
system" and that I'VE, have now
reached the point Of militarism where
Continued on Page 2. Column 81.