Correspondence with the United States Ambassador respecting the execution of Miss Cavell at Brussels.

Date:
1915
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Correspondence with the United States Ambassador respecting the execution of Miss Cavell at Brussels. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    6/18 (page 4)
    A inflicted upon her. I shall immediately telegraph you upon the pronouncement of sentence. I have, &e. . BRAND WHITLOCK. No. 6. Mr. Page, United States Ambassador in London, to Sir Edward Grey. THE American Ambassador presents his compliments to His Majesty’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and, with reference to his note of the 13th instant, has the honour to enclose herewith a copy of a letter, dated the 18th October, just received from the Legation at Brussels, together with a report upon the case of Miss Edith Cavell, a British subject, who was recently executed at that capital. American Embassy, London, October 18, 1915. Enclosure 1 in No. 6. Mr. Whitlock, United States Minister in Brussels, to Mr. Page. Sir, American Legation, Brussels, October 13, 1915. REFERRING to previous correspondence in regard to the case of Miss Edith Cavell, I regret to be obliged to inform you, in confirmation of my telegram of yesterday morning,* that the death sentence récommended by the prosecuting attorney was imposed by the court-martial and that Miss Cavell was executed early yesterday morning. I enclose herewith for your information copies of all the correspondence which I have had with the German authorities in regard to this case, together with copies of previous letters addressed to you on the subject. [ know that you will understand without my telling you that we exhausted every possible effort to prevent the infliction of the death penalty, and that our failure has been felt by us as a very severe blow. I am convinced, however, that no step was neglected which could have had any effect. From the date we first Jearned of Miss Cavell’s imprisonment, we made ‘frequent enquiries of the German authorities and reminded them of their promise that we should be fully informed as to developments. They were under no misapprehension as to our interest in the matter. Although the German authorities did not inform me when the sentence had actually been passed, I learned, through an unofficial source, that judgment had been delivered, and that Miss Cavell was to. be executed during the night. JI immediately sent Mr. Gibson, the Secretary of Legation, to present to Baron von der Lancken my appeal that execution of the sentence should be deferred until the Governor could consider my plea for clemency. Mr. Gibson was accompanied by Maitre de Leval, Legal Counsellor of the Legation, who had worked from the beginning upon the legal aspect of the case. Mr. Gibson was fortunate enough to find the Spanish Minister, and got him to accompany him on his visit to Baron von der Lancken. The details of the visit you will find in Mr. Gibson’s report to me. The other papers which are attached speak for themselves and require no further comment from me. I have, &e. -BRAND WHITLOCK. * See No. 4.