Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-11-08

ofienses mad Deen committed, mad informed the sem
ate in a temperate manner of the fact that he had
such information, and had asked that a thorough in
vestigation be made, he would have had the country
and undoubtedly the senate with him. Asst is, he
has chosen to play his favorite role of sensational
list, has assumed guilt where he has as yet presented
no proof, and has denounced as INSTRUCTORS Of jus-
tice those who have ventured to question the accu-
racy OF whatever information he may possess. In
this he has been running true to form, and has done
just what would have been expected of him by those
familiar with his behavior i'll the past. But it is I'M
fortunate that there should be in such a body as the
United States senate a man who would use such
methods when his course was certain to cast sus-
picion upon an honorable service and to bring the
character of honorable men into question. Fortu-
nately, the very extravaganza of the statements
made by Mr.. Watson discredits him, and will en-
able the public to preserve an attitude of impartial
lty toward any real charges which he may prefer.
1t is a matter of common knowledge that facts
pertaining to the military service may have in many
cases been grossly exaggerated. 1t is known that
there have been not only exaggerations but abso-
those talsehoods have been accepted as truths.
1t may be REALIZED that during the war a rumorr
was persistently circulated in and around Grand
Forks that a young man who had joined the army
from a farm home in Grand Forks county had been
shot because he spoke disrespectfully to an officer.
The rumor came to the attention of The Herald and
a good deal of time was spent in trying to ascertain
the facts in the case. The young mans parents had
heard of the rumor and had no means of knowing
whether it was true or false. They were naturally
greatly disturbed and very anxious. In process of
time it was discovered that the young man had not
been shot, that he had not been disciplined in any
way, and no information was obtained to show that
he had ever either merited or received reprimand.
At the time when he was supposed to be lying in a
dishonored grave, he was still performing his duties
as an American soldier, enjoying good health, and
he has since returned to his home. This is merely
one of thousands of such cases where stories were
manufactured out OF the whole cloth, for what rea-
son no one in the world knows, and were circulat-
ed until they became accepted as facts.
In connection with one of the hanging incidents
to which Senator Watson has made reference, one
OF his lntormants writes that he was on a particu-
lar front at the time when the alleged hanging took
place, and that he and many others were invited to
witness the execution, and that they did so. He says
that he does not know for what reason the man was
executed or what were the circumstances OF his trial.
Another man who was a medical officer in the same
district writes OF this same incident and says that
he was stationed in that locality when the hanging
took place. The offender, he says, was executed be-.
cause of an attack on a young girl, that he was prop
erly tried and convicted and sentenced, and that
many of the American soldiers stationed there were
not invited, but ordered to attend the hanging. and
that there was full publicity concerning the affair
and he knows Of no reason why it should now be
made the subject of an investigation.
There we have the testimony of one man who
Nio"S vi lS hanging u hllO"SO l HOlUlIS 1uGIne1
about it. At the same time we have the testimony
of another man who knows Of the hanging. knows
why and under what circumstances it took place
and who asserts that it was matter of publicity
and of public record.
1t is inevitable that in a body of hundreds oil
thousands of men gathered promiscuously from the
entire population of a country there should be mer
Of evil minds and evil dispositions. 1t is inevitable
that some of these find their way into official posi-.
tions, and that they will abuse their authority. Such
things are unavoidable. When the facts relating tc
them are ascertained, it is the duty Of those in au.
thority to mete out such measure of justice as is pos.
sible, butfhe fact that such incidents do occur is nc
warrant for the making of loose and general charge:
such as have been made by Senator Watson. Thu
attacks made by Watson which reflect on all in OF
fetal positions in the army, on the entire personne
of the rank and file because they have not hitherto
made known knowledge which they must have hae
if such crimes have been committed, and which in
clude General Pershing, the head of the army. tn
army nurses, and even 60 away back and dig out O
his grave, General LaFayette-these things are sui
ficient to cast discredit on any kind of s!ater,en
etnanating from the same source.
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