Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 July 1919 — SAYS MEH WERE MISTREATED [ARTICLE]

SAYS MEH WERE MISTREATED

By Army Officers \Vhen Held Prisoners on Minor Charge*.. James W. Beckman, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Beckman of Rensselaer, who recently returned -from France where he was a sergeantmajor in the A. E. F., is writing a serious of articles in the New York Globe and Commercial Advertiser of alleged brutal treatment of military prisoners in Franco oy American, officers that came unFr his observation. He says in his first article, in the issue of last Wednesday, that “undoubtedly there were only a few bad officers, who were responsible for most of the misery undergone by the military prisoners; that the greater majority, of our officers in France wet* thorough gentlemen who treated their men fairly, which is shown by the fact that 65,000 voluntary recruits have joined the army in the past few weeks and of this number 70% were re-enlistments, and of this 70% more than two-thirds had been overseas.” Mr. Beckman argues, however, that the fact that only a few officers were guilty of brutalities is no reason for not exposing them, and in his aritcles he is citing instances that came under his personal observation or Were furnished him- in the form of affidavits.