Evening star., 1946-07-02
Prosecutors S Charge
on Get Rough Policy
Anglers Col. KiIian
BY the Associated Press

0AD NAUHE1M, Germany,
July 2.-Red with anger, Col.
James A. Kilian heard a prose-
cutor charge today that he had
instituted a deliberate policy of
making it SO rough on prisoners
that they wouldn't come back"
to the American Army guard
house in Lichfield, England,
The accusation came from Mai
Joseph s. Robinson, who was using
Col. kil1an's own testimony in the
previous trial of Sergt Judson H.
Smith, who was convicted of beat
ing prisoners at Lichfield. Col.
Kilian, former commandant of the
camp, is accused of authorizing cruel
punishments.
Col. Kilian's attorneys protested
to the court martial that the Smith
trial was Illegally conducted" and
that Col. Kilian, a Highlands Park
Qll0 cavalry veteran, was quizzed
five days "in an attempt to build up
fabricated case against him."
Starts From Seat.
Col. Kilian started from his seat
and asked permission to address the
military court, but was restrained
by his lawyer and sank back into
his chair, muttering angrily.
Maj. Robinson read fromethe rec
ord Of the Smith trial. in which Col
Kilian conceded "it could have been
possible" that he said I'VE are going
TO have to get little tougher on
these fellows" He also was quoted
as testifying he told a lieutenant
with qualifications that prisoners
were living too easy life"
In the same testimony at the
Smith trial, which was the first of
the Lichfleld cases eight months
ago, Col. Kilian denied he had any
knowledge of prisoners being beaten.
He told the court then, Maj. Robin
son recalled from the record that
Col. Kilian testified that it was a
general complaint that Lichfield was
compelled to use these limited
service guards or jailers of the psy-
choneurotic type"
Proposed Charging Desertion.
Maj. Robinson said he was trying
to show by Col. Kilian's testimony
first that the colonel wanted to send
recalcitrant soldiers into battle "un-
der the gun"-with guns at their
backs.
When that idea was rejected, Maj
Robinson said, the colonel proposed
charging desertion against soldiers
absent without leave from units
headed for combat areas. Many
such soldiers were confined in the
Lichfield guardhouse. Col. Kilian
testified in the Smith trial that he
was told by colonel in the judge
advocates section that I'VE would
not dare try them for desertion."
Then, Maj. Robinson said, Col.
Kilian instituted the final policy of
making it so rough on prisoners
they wouldn't want to come back"
A former guard who recently was
fined for striking prisoners testified
that prisoners were beaten under
Pfc. William B. Norris of Mulga,
Ala, said 1t. Granville Cubage of
Oklahoma City, also fined recently
for authorizing guards to hit pris-
oners with club, told him he had
been to see Col Kilian to suggest
sending some of the tougher pris-
oners to detention training centers
Don't Break Too Many Bones.
NO" Col. Kilian was quoted as
saying, don't take them to the
DTC. Take them out, but don't
break too many bones"
Pfc. Norris did not amplify the
cryptic directive he credited to
Col. Kilian.
In the simultaneous trial of 1t.
Leonard W. Ennis of Peekskill, ny
the defense continued its parade of
witnesses who said they saw no
evidence of cruelty to prisoners at
Lchfeld.
Three witnesses had served briefly
as officer of the day" at the guard
house, and one also was defense |
lawyer for several prisoners being
court-martialed. All said no pris-
oners complained of beatings or
showed marks of physical violence