Evening star., 1925-04-10

Continued from First PageD
of the United States again. Flag and
country are a disgrace TO humanity.
"The cases were tried before differ
ent courts" Gen. Lewis message
said The proceedings are now
being written up. They have not yet
been reviewed by division judge ad-
vocate. Review of the cases will be
expedited. From a preliminary sur
vey the division commander feels
that the sentences awarded are ex-
cessive and proba bly, will be very
materially reduced
Court Sentences Severe.
Army officers here admit the sen-
tences imposed by the courts-martial are
almost unbelierably severe. Even dur
ing the war few more strenuous SEN
tences were passed for political Of
lenses" and after the signing of the
armistice many of these were reduced,
in a large number Of cases the offenders
eventually being released from prison.
For military court to sentence SOL
diers to prison virtually for life in time
of peace, it is held, much more dam
gerous circumstances than have yet
been made public must have been dis
covered. Beneath the comparatively
quiet surface of official talk there is a
persistent undercurrent of suspicion that
both men may have been involved with
foreign agents seeking to overthrow
American control of the strategic
Hawaiian Islands.
1t was declared that the ma jority
Of the population of the Hawaiian
Islands is hostile to the American
Government. A large per cent of the
workers here are Japanese and many
more are Germans, Portuguese and ma
tives. A strike by these forces II is held
would completely cripple the indus
tries of the Territory and make such
an uprising a virtual rebellion which
might ultimately involve this coun-
try in serious difficulties with Ash
attic nations.
Linked With New Pact.
In unofficial converse tions here re-
garding the disclosures of the opera
tions of the two soldiers and their re-
puted daring in actually applying to
the Third 1nternationale for a char
ter for their secret society, there Is
linked serious consideration of equal
ly recent discoveries regarding the
pact signed by Russia and Japan. AL
though later facts may develop no
connection between the two, the con-
ditions are frankly regarded as sig
nificant.
Discovery of the communistic oper-
atoms of Crouch and TrumbuIl result
ed from letters they wrote to the
Honolulu Advertiser taking excen
ton TO an editorial that appeared in
that paper attacking the Soviet gov
ernment of Russia. Col. Eugene
Fisher, intelligence officer. investi-
gated the activities of the two SOL
dfers and his report resulted in their
arrest. Col. Fisher was the chief wit
ness against the prisoners.
omcer Is Witness.
Col. Fisher purposely inrratiat.d
himself with Crouch and Trumbull
and testified that they had persuaded
him to join their secret ORGANIZATIONS
in violation of the laws of Hawaii
and in violation of the ninety-sixtb
article of war. This article reads:
General article: Though NOT
mentioned in these articles. ALI
disorders and neGlects to tbe
prejudice of good order and mill
tary discipline, all conduct of a
nature to bring discredit upon the
military service and all crimes or
offenses not capital. of which per-
sons subject to military law NAV
zance OF by general or speciaI
or summary court martial. ac
Cording to the nature and deerae
of the offense and punished at the
discretion of such court"
In the course of Il conversation
Col. Fisher testified, Trumbull de-
clared that "the President NAV he al,
right as an individual, but as an in
stitution is a disgrace to the whole
country" This, it was held. violated
the siXty-second article of war
which reads as follows:
"Disrespect toward the Presi-
dent, Vice President, Congress
Secretary of War. Governors. Leg
islatures-Any officer who uses
contemptuous or disrespectful
words against the President, Vice
President. the Congress of the
United States, the Secretary of
War or the Governor or Legisla-
ture of any State, Territory or
other possession of the United
States in which he is quartered
shall be dismissed from the serv-
ice or suffer such other punish
msnt as a court-martial may di-
rect. ANY other person subject to
military law who so-oHends shall