Arizona republican., 1921-11-06
WATSON GR|LLS ARMY STAFF FOR DENYING CHARGE MADE IN SENATE
Georgia Senator Intimates General Pershing May Be Called Before Committee Investigating Charges
IRepubIlean A. ?. Leased WIrel


 WASHINGTON, Nov. 5.-Present- ing further support for his charges that American soldiers were hanged overseas without court-martial. Sen ator Watson. Democrat of Georgia, tonight in the senate turned his fire on Secretary Weeks and General Pershing for their denial of his as- sertions.
 Alluding to a statement made today by the war secretary, that mo decent man" would make charges with re- spect to army nurses such as made several days ago in the senate, Sen ator Watson, while disclaiming any intent to attack the nurses as a whole, said he would leave it to any impartial tribunal to judge whether he or MT Weeks was the more de cent" He said his charge as orig inally 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 Nash vile, Tenn, that the Watson charges of illegal hangings and inhuman treatment of privates by officers was a most outrageous and untrue accu- sation," the senator declared:
 When the general denounces a senator as liar, he had better re- member that it is within the power of the senate to bring him here and a time may come vixen we will do that. If he talks that way about more senators it may be done. We have as yet no kaiser that says Me and God-' I'm not going to lower myself" the senator continued, ito 1f ait ~-o a1-u INaoIxS or General Pershing by indulging in abuse. l simply content myself with saying that it was a great impro priety for either of these gentlemen to publicly condemn another without the slightest investigation.
 Senator Watson then read a letter from an unidentified Richmond Va. woman who said she had served F months as an army nurse. The let ter said: "Officers made courtesans of the nurses wherever possible and nurses who resisted were subjected to personal indignities
 MT Watson also said he had been told by a former nurse that she had been compelled to repel the assault of an officer.
 More telegrams and letters in sup port of his illegal hanging charges also were presented by the senator. He submitted another photograph, which he said was of an army gall lows in France which photograph, he said. had been smuggled into the country by a Huntington, West Vir- ginia, private. Apparently there were as many gibbets as hospitals, said the senator, who for the flrst time gave the name Clifford l.. Aver, Jr.,-of the man he said had
 1lf1xx- guard that 21 soldiers had been hanged without court martial.
 He presented a telegram from Aver stating that an affidavit was beps forwarded for the use of the special committee that will meet Monday to determine procedure in the investi- gation of the senator's charges.
 Another telegram presented by the senator was from George Carborough Aaron, Georgia, who said he served in the 605th engineers corps and de- clared MT. Watson's charges or H. legal hangings were true. senator Watson said this witness would ap- near before the committee and "face the nabobs of the general staff." The senator read another telegram which asked that the senate investi- gation include ''the case of Albert Purcell. of Cincinnati" bout which the informant said he has been able to learn nothing from the war de- partment The message said Pur- cells death occurred at camp al San Antonio, Texas.
 William Gibbons of Cleveland had written, Watson said. that he had two photographs. one taken before and the other after the hanging of a soldier against whom the writer said the charges lacked definiteness.
 The senator also said that former service man, now living in Washing ton had giye1, him a statement as to the hanging of four negro soldiers "on one gallows at one time, each clad in the uniform that General Pershing wears.
 The same soldier had informed him. he said, that these men were hanged without court martial
 Another soldier had informed him he said, that the body of "a negro convict, the black cap still over his face had been exhumed ana sent to the home o1 white woman in Ro-
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