Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-04
AGAIN ORDER PROBE.
OF WATSON CHARGE.
Senate Adopts New Resolution
for Inquiry Into Alleged
Hangings In France
GEORGIAN KEEPS UP "FIRE"


Washington, Nov. "A new resolu-
tion ordering a special committee TO In
vestigate charges of Senator Tom Wat
son, Of Georgia, regarding treatment OF
privates in the American expeditionary
forces was adopted unanimously today
by the Senate after a two-hour wrangle.
During the debate, 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 soldier, who said
he had seen the gallows and had been
told by the scaffold guard that this
number Of men had been hanged.
Soon after Senator Watson presented
the bases for his charges favorable COM
mittee report was made on the resolu-
tlon authorizing the special committee
appointed to inquire into the charges to
subpoena witnesses and papers.
The Georgia Senator presented the
bases for his charges during q period
OF heated debate on the subject. He
read a telegram from this soldier, whose
name was not disclosed, saying that the
gallows was Mt Gicvres, France, ana
that the guard had told him that other
men were to be hanged on 1t.
Says Soldier VIII Face Senate
Watson declared that this soldier,
who. he said, had served four years In
the army. would "face the Senate and
answer any questions as bravely as he
faced the Germans
Senator Watson asked if the War
Department would give the name OF the
"gallows guard and others involved
in the Gicvres execution. Senator
Wadsworth, chairman Of the Military
Affairs Committee. said that was what
was proposed by the Senate investiga-
| ton, ordered. he added. because the
Georgia Senator indicated lack Of con-
fidence in the chairman and other MEM
bers of the Military Committee by re-
fusing to come before 1t.
Senator Watson replied that he hnd
constitutional right to present his
case in the open Senate and intended
to do so. >,
"Expel me IL you like for that" said
Senator Watson to the Republican
side. "You'vc got the votes. Go ahead
and do 1t. Is the Republican majority
eacrcd? Why not debate this here In
| the open and meet mo face to face!
Why try to entrap me and cage me am
silence me In committee roomF II
there's anything cheaper In this country
than human life, it's a white washing
committee report. Nobody reads com
mittee reports or has any confidence II
them"
Fighting military Clique"
Does the General staff want to hide
in the committee room?" Senator Wat
son continued. "Why not give the facts
to some Senator and have him face mi
here?"
Senator Watson said he was fghtin!
the military clique, the Prussianize'
system" and that 1--WE have nov
reached the point of militarism wher,
it is crime to criticize the army,
which he said was the stage that Ger
many had reached before the breaking
out Of the war"
Senator Watson then proceeded t
read letters and other documents dealing
with alleged hangings of American
soldiers. which, he said, In numoe
long since had passed the fingers OF
the one hand of the Senator from New
York (Scnator Wadsworth), are nea
the figures of Secretary Weeks and sool
will reach the figure which ] gave"
Senator Watson said he had "furthe
evidence fresh from the mails this morn
ing" and read from a magazine quot
ing an unnamed officer MS saving thN
he was informed that the Red Cros
"had built gallows for the a. L. +
on which to hang men and asking tha
all records of the transaction be remove
from the files and burned Senate
Watson said he would not name I'll
magazine printing the officers statemel
} because lit might be barred from I'll
mails, as was mine"
HaIts Georgtan's Speech
, Senator Lodge cut the Georgia Sena