362.412 C31/6
The Chargé in Belgium (Gibson) to the
Secretary of State
No. 205
Brussels,
November 19, 1915.
[Received December 7.]
Sir: Referring to Mr. Brand Whitlock’s
telegram of October 27 [29]20 in regard to official notices posted by the German
Authorities concerning his alleged disapproval of the reports made in
the Cavell case, I have the honor to transmit herewith enclosed, for the
information of the Department, copy and translation of the entire text
of the poster in question.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure—Translation]21
Extract From News Poster of the German General
Government in Belgium
Brussels, October
27. The United States Ambassador in London has placed the
papers relative to the Cavell case at the disposal of the English
Government. These papers relate to the correspondence exchanged on
the subject of the trial between the Legation of the United States
in Brussels and the German authorities in that city. The English
Government at once turned these documents over to the press and had
them published by the Reuter Syndicate. They reproduce the most
essential facts in an inexact manner. Above all they allow it to be
supposed that the German authorities put off the Minister of the U.
S. with false promises, in order to leave him in ignorance that the
sentence of death had already been pronounced, and, by proceeding
rapidly with the execution, prevented intervention in favor of the
persons sentenced. In published comments on the subject, Sir Edward
Grey considers as particularly reprehensible the fact that the
German authority did not respect its engagement to
[Page 67]
keep the Minister of the U. S. informed
of the progress of the trial. Such a promise was never made by the
German authority which, therefore, could not break its word. The
Minister of the U. S. at Brussels, in the course of an interview
with the German authority recognised himself that this was the case.
The United States Ambassador in London has been misinformed: he was
led into error by the statements of a Belgian jurisconsult who in
his quality of legal counsellor of the American Legation in Brussels
has played a certain role in this affair. The Minister of the U. S.
has stated that the publication of the documents in question had
greatly surprised him and that he would, without delay, advise his
colleague at London and his Government of the difference between the
real facts and their exposition in the written report of the Belgian
lawyer.
