Military Justice Administration Changes
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EsLebeDeutschlandMilitary Justice Administration Changes
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EsLebeDeutschland832 ESTABLISHMENT OF MILITARY JUSTICE .
, Q. Upon the return of Gen . Crowder to the office what changes were made a s
to the duties of Gen . Ansell with respect to the administration of militar y
justice?A. Shortly after his return to the office Gen . Crofter issued a memo-
randum changing the routing of certain classes of papers, as I remember .
(Memorandum herewith. )
Q . To what extent have you been associated with the Division of Militar y
Justice in the Judge Advocate General's Office?A . When I was first ordere d
to duty in the Judge Advocate General's Department I was assigned to th e
Division of Military Justice, under Col . Read. I remained on that duty fo r
about three weeks . During that time I reviewed some records, but my prin-
cipal duty was preparing indorsements to letters pertaining to military justic e
and acting as a sort of executive officer to that divisionassigning rooms,
desks, checking up the record room, etc .
Q. So far as you have observed in your capacity as executive officer, wha t
has been the effect, if any, upon the morale and efficiency of the office of thi s
controversy which is going on, with respect to the administration of militar y
justice?A . So far as affecting the morale of the office I noticed no particula r
change . There have been several officers from the office and some officers
assigned from the Provost Marshal General's Office on some special duty ,
whose functions I know nothing about . . Prior to the time that this discussio n
arose I gained the impression from talking to officers from civil life on dut y
in the department that they believed that changes in the court-martial manual
and in the Articles of War, should be made . Since this controversy arose I
have not taken occasion to express any views, nor to receive any .
Q . Explain fully what disposition was made of Gen . Ansell's report of his
European trip?A . Along about the last of August, I can't be sure of these
dates, but I know it occurred before we moved into this building, Gen . Ansel l
gave a lecture to all of the officers of the department on his trip abroad ;
this was shortly after his return . As I remember the circumstances he went
through the executive office into Gen . Crowder's office and got that report from
Gen . Crowder's desk, and then went on through into the library, where th e
lecture was given .
Q. Was that the original or a copy of the report?A . That was the original .
After we moved into the office over here he gave another lecture on tha t
report to the officers who had come in since that time . When Col . Morrow
and Col. Power went abroad they asked me to get that report and have copie s
made . I had those copies made one Sunday morning, and as I remember I
had four of them made by Mr . O'Neil, a stenographer in the office, who cam e
to work Saturday night and Sunday morning as they were leaving on Sunda y
afternoon : I furnished each with a copy and I kept two copies, one for mysel f
and one I attached to the original. I found that that report had never bee n
put on file, and later on, some one else who was going abroad (I think it wa s
Col . Goff), asked for a copy . In the meantime I thought that Gen . Ansell ha d
the report in his file, and I suggested that he had better put it in the files o f
the officeand that was done. I furnished Col . Goff a copy, I think I gave
him my copy .
Q. You don't know when this report came into the hands of Gen . Crowder?
A. No, sir ; I do not .
Q. When was the report, if at all, forwarded to the War Department?A .
It never was forwarded so far as I know . The last I saw of it was in th e
files of the office.
Q . In that report Gen . Ansell calls attention to the liabilities which ar e
liable to grow out of the presence of our Army in France, and urged steps b e
taken to gather and record facts with a view to forehanded preparation agains t
unjust claims and excessive damages for the just ones . Do you know whethe r
any action was ever taken along those lines?A. None so far as I know .
Q . You don't know what is being done along those lines in France?A . I
don't know, sir .
Q. Have any steps been taken by the office of the Judge Advocate General
in Washington to bring about any such action?A . None ; so far as I know . I t
may have been taken and gone out direct from the Judge Advocate General ' s
office without my knowing it . '
Q . Is it probable that in matters of that kind that correspondence would go
out without passing over your desk?A . It could go out without passing ove r
my desk . Does not necessarily pass through me . Ordinarily I would hea r
something about it, but it is not necessary .
Q . Going back to the memorandum of January, 1919, changing the routing o f
work in the office, do you recall what effect that had upon Gen . Ansell's duties,
