Evening star., 1921-08-31
Editorial Digest.
The Blame for Bergdoll.

The significance of the House COM
mittee report on the Bergdoll af-
fair, In the opinion Of most Of its
newspaper critics, lies chiefly In it's
being the first of the war investiga-
tions to reach, q conclusion not strict
ly partisan. Opinions differ as to the
value of the report in Its bearing on
the Bergdoll case. the Flint (Mich.)
Journal independently, for instance.
declaring that we are at last get
ting somewhere" while the Indian
apolis Star Independent republican,
feels that the reports contribute lit
tile or nothing to the case"
The fact that 'this is the first war
investigation report that resulted
otherwise than in q division on party
lines" gives 1t. in the eyes OF the
Duluth Herald Independently. more
interest, If not more credibility..
While Unsatisfactory to the extent
that it was by bare majority vote.
the Baltimore American (repuDIican
pect" is insured by the fact that the
majority consists Of republican and
two democratic members. ana the
Democratic Florida Metropolis tJack-
sonville) is satisfied that partisa
politics did not figure in the hho-
ings." p,,.
The committee. the Grand Rapids
News independently believes, has
submitted "the kind of report that
the country expected. II the Iacts
were as the newspapers had TepoF@.ea @
responsibility for Bergdoll's escape
where it should rest" On the other
hand. the indianapolis News dnde-
pendent) feels that neither the ma
jority nor the minority report is "s
high flown essay on the use OF money
to defeat Justice and the weakness OF
man." and the latter tending larse-
" to discredit the majority report.
At any rate. the investigating com.
mittee "has done a creditable piece
of work in bringing into the lime
light the circumstances under Which
Bergdoll escaped from custody, the
Boston Transcript independent re.
publican) thinks. and has revealed
an amazing stupidity on the part OF
the officials concerned. even SHOULD
sanitation" Tne Knoxville Journal
and Tribune (republican) also dis.
counts the theory of conspiracy ana
corruption. since 1t appears that the
attempt ITO corrupt by orinery was
not even necessary: what Is made
plain in the report, however. is that
the Bergdoll money "dazzled those in
high places Of authority and. to say
the least. overcame their judgment"
But "if 1t was stupidity which per-
Arbor (Mich.) Times-News Unde-
pendenD regards II as stupidity bor-
dering so closely on criminality that
the facts must be made known be-
fore anybody will believe it," and to
the Memphis News-Scimitar Unde-
l~s .ls
miss the charges on the grounds Of
negligence or indifference" since
Army officers are not usually in
capable or indifferent"
I'nquestionably. the Norfolk Ledger
Dispatch independent democratic)
asserts, there was conspiracy to
effect the escape Of rich and no.
torious violator of the draft law"
and "unquestionably this conspiracy
could not have succeeded without the
participation. either vicious or fool
ish. of officers of the Army" The
committee report in the opinion Of
the Pittsburgh Gazette-Times (repub-
ltcan). fully supports Bergdoll's boast
that he made the Americans look
like bunch of boobs," and it should
be but a step in bringing to punish
ment every person who had a guilty
part. whether deliberately or negli-
gently. In bringing into public con-
tempt the administration of justice In
the Army"
The report should have a tonic and
wholesome effect upon Army admin
istration." the Brooklyn Eagle Gnde.
pendent democratic) thinks, but the
paper notes further the charge Of
criminal conspiracy against one man
involved in the affair who "is beyond
the reach Of Army discipline" This
man Is Brig. Gen. Ansell, formerly
Judge advocate general Of the Army,
who retired from the Army and be-
came Bergdoll's counsel" and who is
called the master mind" of the plot
by the committee majority. Surely.
the Eagle remarks. the committees
recommendation Of disbarment sis not
too heavy a punishment for a man"
guilty of the conduct attributed to
him in this report"
Since "Ansell IL q republican" the
Oklahoma City Oklahoman (demo.
cratic) considers IL reasonable to be-
lieve that all of the republicans on
the committee would have voted to
relieve him of blame" If the evidence
against him had been weak" The
Augusta Chronicle (democratic), how
ever. quoting the Charlotte Observer
independently. agrees with it that
the arraignment could not have been
justified on the evidence submitted"
and concludes that "Ansells greatest
shining is in the fact that he has
been keeping some very bad COM
pany."