The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-11-06
CHARGES ARMY NURSES we're.
SUBJECTED TO INDICNITIES
Senator Watson Reads Letter
From Virginia Woman Who
Served With Forces.
RECEIVES TELEGRAMS OF
MORE ILLEGAL HANGINGS
Says the Executions Cited Had
Already Passed Figures Civ
en- by War Department.
tBy The AsaosIated Pressl

(By The Associated Pressl
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5s-Presentins
further support for his charges that
American soldiers were hanged over-
sens without court martial, Senator
Watson, democrat Georgia, tonight In
the senate turned his fire on Secretary
Weeks and General Pershlng because
OF ther denial Of the senator's asser-
tions
Abiding to a statement rnade today
by the war secretary that mo decent
man" would make charges with Respect
to army nurses such as made several
days ago in tho senate, Senator Wat
son, while disciaiming any intent to
attack the nurses as a whole said he
would leave to any impartial tribunal
to judge whether he or Mr.. Weeks was
the more decent" The senator said
that his charge, as originally made,
was that officers in too many cases
made courtesans OF the nurses"
"And I can prove it." he exclaimed
Reading General Pershing's state
ment as made yesterday In Nashville
Tenn, that the Watson charges Of ilIe-
gal hangings and inhuman treatment
OF pIfvates by officers were a s1nost
outrageous and untrue accusation the
Georgia senator declared;
when the general denounces a sem
ator as a liar nc had better remember
that It Is within the power Of the SEN
ate 70 bring him here and kitne may
come when we will do that II he talks
that way about more senator's it may
be done. We have as yet no kaiser
that says: Me and Cod
I'm not going to lower myself" Sem
ator Watson continued. ito the level
OF either Secretary Weeks or General
Pcrshing by indulging in abuse II
simply content myself with saying that
1t was a great fnproprioty for either
OF these gentlemen IN the public serv-
ice TO publicly condemn anothtr with
out the slightest tnvestigation.'
Senator Watson then read a letter
from an unidentified Richmond, Va
woman who said she had served 12I
months as an army nurse. The letter
said that "officeps made courtesans OF
the nurses wherever possible and
nurses who resisted were subjected to
personal indignities"' Mr.. Watson also
said ne had beev told personally by al
former nurse she had been COM
PEELED 20 rep assault OF an Of
acer.
More kilograms and letters in sup
port OF his Illegal charges also were
presented by the senator. He sub |
mibted another photograph OF what he
said was on army gallows in France, |
which photograph. he said, had been
smuggled into the country by d Hunt
ington, w Va. private
Apparently there were as many
gibbets as hospitals" said the senator, |
who for the first time gave the name
clifford L. Arye. Jr--of the man. he
said he told him Of hearing from a gall
lows guard that 21 soldiers had been
wlnged without court martials. He
presented a telegrams from Arye stat ,
ing that an afddavit was being for
warded for the use Of the special COM
mittee that will meet Monday TO deter
mine procedure IN the investigation Of
~ senator's charges. The senator
promised to protect his witness II any
attempts he said were made to brow
beat or intimidate him"
Another telegram presented by the \
senator was from George Carborough +
Aaron. Ca, who said he served III the
s06th engineer corps and declared that
Mr.. Watson's charges Of illegal hang
ings were true. Senator Watson said
this witness would appear before the
committee and face the nabobs Of
the general staff"
The senator read another telegram
the sender Of which was not disclosei
which asked that the senate investiga
tloh include athe case OF Albert Pur-
cell OF CINCINNATI" about which the in
formant said he had been able to learn
nothing from the war department. The
message said that Purcelrs death oc-
CURED at camp at San Antonio. Tex.
william Gibbons OF Cleveland had
written, Mr.. Watson said. that he had
two photographs one taken before and
~ ether after the hanving of a soldier
a#Ainst whom the writer said the
charges lacked defniteness.
The senate also was told by the
Georgia senator that q former service
man now living in washington had
given him a statement as to the hang
lnn or four negro soldiers "on one gall
lows ait one time. each clad In the uni-
sorm that Cene1al pershiug wears
The game soldier hsd informed aim. he
(contlnusd Of rage Tws.l