gave him had to be confirmed by General Mackinnon, commanding the district. The statement made by the accused would be taken into consideration not only by them, but by General Mackinnon. The punishment given by the Court might be wiped out altogether or reduced by the General. He asked whether the accused still wished to imply that the Court had no right to try him. "Lieutenant Graine. Notwithstanding what you have said he still protests against it. His contention is that disciplinary punishment can only be inflicted by one individual. "The President. Does he wish to imply that we have no powers to give him more than disciplinary punishment? "Lieutenant Graine. He says that in Germany the Courts can only inflict prison or penal servitude. "After further argument the accused formally made his protest against being tried by this Court, his offense having made him liable to disciplinary punishment. He said that he could be tried only by his Commandant or the immediate superior of the Commandant. "The Court was cleared, and when, after an interval, the proceedings were resumed, the President said that the objection had been overruled. "Captain Evans produced evidence as to the rank, age, and character of the accused. His character during the period of his internment was stated to have been good. "The Court then considered its sentence in private. . . ." (London Times, April 24, 1915.) THE AMERICAN EMBASSY REPORTS ON THE TREATMENT OF BRITISH PRISONERS OF WAR IN GERMANY (1915) My dear Colleague: AMERICAN EMBASSY, BERLIN, WITH reference to my telegram of the 11th March, 1915, to the Department of State, based on a Note from the Imperial Foreign Office, embodying the result of an arrangement agreeable to the German Government, whereby American diplomatic chiefs of mission and members of their staffs or consular officials whom they appoint may at all times visit camps where enemy prisoners of war under their protection are interned, I am writing to inform you that on the 29th March passes were issued to myself, Mr. Jackson, and other members of the Embassy staff, as well as to the Consul at Hanover, to visit any and all prisoners' camps or hospitals in Germany. These passes permit visits at any time, and the fact that a member of my staff has visited a camp once does not prevent his going to the same place as often as he may desire to do so. On the 30th March, I visited, with Mr. Jackson and Mr. Osborne, the camp at Döberitz, where non-commissioned officers and men are interned, and on Wednesday and Thursday, Mr. Jackson and Mr. Russell made a thorough inspection of the officers' camps at Burg, Magdeburg, and Halle. I am anxious to have every place in Germany, where British subjects are interned, visited by a member of my staff and I will then draw up a general report for transmission to His Majesty's Government. At the present time I am glad to say that there appears to be a general improvement in the conditions prevailing in prisoners' camps throughout Germany. Parcels, money and letters appear to be arriving with great regularity. The health of the officers and men appears on the whole to be very good. I shall not go into matters in detail at this time, but wait until a greater number of places have been visited. For your information I beg to enclose herewith a copy of a `letter from Mr. Jackson to Sir Edward Grey, regarding his visits to Döberitz and Burg. Yours sincerely, JAMES W. GERARD. (British White Paper, Miscellaneous No. 11, 1915 [Cd. 7861].) TRANSFER TO SWITZERLAND OF BRITISH AND GER- Mr. Page to Sir Edward Grey (received May 2) May 1, 1916. THE American Ambassador presents his compliments to His Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and, with reference to Sir E. Grey's note of the 22nd April, relative to the proposed transfer of British and German prisoners of war to Switzerland, has the honor to acquaint Sir E. Grey with the text of a telegram received from the Embassy at Berlin, dated the 27th April, as follows: "In note received today Foreign Office states German Government agrees to transfer of German and British wounded to Switzerland on same principle as between Germans and French, and suggests employment of Swiss doctors to make preliminary examination. "Final decision to be made by respective Exchange Commissions on principles agreed to by Germany and France. "Foreign Office proposes transfer to begin about the 17th May, if British Government declares willingness to begin on same date. "Foreign Office presumes German prisoners will be sent through France to Lyons, and safety guaranteed by both British and French Governments. "Written communications will be forwarded next pouch. "Assume British Government possesses French schedule of disabilities." (British White Paper, Miscellaneous No. 17, 1916.) § 13. RELATIVE MILITARY ADVANTAGE AS COMPARED WITH THE INJURY AND MISERY INFLICTED BELGIAN RELIEF (1914) The Secretary of State to Ambassador Gerard [Telegram] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON, October 7, 1914. DEPARTMENT has received following from London, which you may communicate to Imperial Foreign Office: "Belgian committee has been formed at Brussels under the patronage of the American and Spanish ministers for the purpose of importing foodstuffs for the poor of Belgium. The German authorities in occupation have consented and the Belgian Minister here informs me that under instructions from his Government he has obtained permission of the British authorities for the export of supplies on condition that they be despatched by this Embassy and consigned to our Legation at Brussels. I believe it would be well to obtain a definite assurance from the German Government of their approval of this humanitarian project the execution of which is in charge of an American citizen, Mr. Shaler, who is now in London purchasing supplies." Please take up informally with Foreign Office and cable reply. BRYAN. The Acting Secretary of State to Minister Whitlock [Telegram] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON, October 19, 1914. Your 548, 18th. The plan of the Belgian committee in Brussels to import foodstuffs for poor of Brussels has been approved by the German Government and the Embassy in London has been so advised. LANSING. The German Ambassador to the Secretary of State With reference to my note of 21st instant, I now beg to state that the German Government gives formal assurance that foodstuffs imported from the United States will not be used by the Government for the military or naval authorities and will not reach any contractors of the Government. The German Government guarantees that it will not interfere with the distribution of such foodstuffs by the American importers to the civilian population exclusively. J. BERNSTORFF. (From European War No. 2 [printed and distributed by the Department of State October 21, 1915], pp. 97, 98, 106; American Journal of International Law, Supplement, July, 1915, pp. 314, 316, 331.) THE ZEPPELIN ATTACK ON LONDON [THE London Times (October 18, 1915) prints an article by "the writer appointed by the Home Office to observe and describe the effect of the recent Zeppelin raid." Of the full account the following summary is also given:] "On the evening of Wednesday, October 13, another aerial attack was directed against London, which differed in no material respect from those made on previous occasions. The enemy's vessel or vessels flew high at an altitude chosen, no doubt, in order to prevent as far as possible the danger of damage or destruction from anti-aircraft guns. The darkening of the Metropolitan area, together with the height at which the aircraft traveled, certainly prevented the enemy from discovering the exact position of places of importance. "As on the last occasion, the official report issued in Berlin proves the raiders to have been grossly in error in most cases as to where they were dropping their bombs, and if we can suppose that they had really some definite objective other than the mere haphazard destruction of the lives and property of non-combatants then, owing to the height at which they flew, they entirely failed to |