Christian Markhoff is the father of the young man whose expulsion was reported in the embassy's dispatch No. 1714, of August 28, 1901. He and his family are reported as being anxious to go back to the United States, but that as they are in straitened circumstances they are unable to do so. In June, however, the local authorities ordered them to leave Prussia, and the embassy thereupon made intervention in their behalf. The foreign office has now replied that the Royal Prussian Government is not in a position to allow the family (with the exception of the two eldest daughters, who appear to be able to support themselves) to remain here longer. I am, etc., AND. D. WHITE. Mr. Jackson to Mr. Hay. No. 2041.] EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: Referring to the embassy's dispatch No. 2040, of the 20th instant, I have the honor to report that the German foreign office has now informed the embassy that the senate of the free city of Bremen had also decided that permission to sojourn could not be granted to Charles Von Oehsen, because he emigrated to the United States shortly before reaching the age of military service, and because he returned immediately after having acquired American citizenship. As he is now only 23 years old, his presence in Germany under these conditions is considered undesirable. I have, etc., JOHN B. JACKSON. EXPULSION OF MADS PEDER L. FYSANT. Mr. Jackson to Mr. Hay. No. 2122.] EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to report that the embassy intervened on the 25th ultimo in behalf of one Mads Peder L. Fysant, an American citizen of Danish origin, to the end that he be permitted to remain in Prussia until October 17. Fysant was born in Schleswig-Holstein in 1867, and emigrated to the United States in 1884, duly becoming naturalized as an American citizen. Last August he returned to Germany on a visit to his parents, at Langetwedt, in Schleswig, and after he had been there about a month he was told by the local police that he would be expelled if he did not leave of his own accord at once. Nothing further was heard from Fysant after intervention in his behalf was made, and it now appears that he was not molested again. The foreign office has informed the embassy to-day that Fysant was permitted to remain in Prussia in accordance with its request, but that his further sojourn in his former home was not desired, as he had evaded military service by his emigration. I have, etc., JOHN B. JACKSON. No. 2158.] EXPULSION OF SAMUEL SAMUEL. Mr. Dodge to Mr. Hay. EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to report that on the 19th ultimo the embassy was informed through the consul at Kehl that one Samuel Samuel desired to make a visit at his former home at Weitersweiler, in Elsass, for three, or, if possible, for six months, his uncle having already obtained a permission for him to remain there for two weeks, which would soon expire. Samuel emigrated to the United States in 1895, when he was 17 years of age, having secured a release from his German allegiance, and became naturalized October 9 of the present year. Permission to make the desired visit was immediately requested of the foreign office, and nothing further of the case was heard until on the 6th instant the consul reported that Samuel had been compelled to leave the country and had gone to Switzerland. To-day a note from the foreign office states that permission to make a longer sojourn at his former home can not be granted, and that, after full consideration of his case, no ground was apparent which made it possible to make an exception for him to the established principle. The wishes of the embassy had so far been taken into account that upon his uncle's application he had been given permission to remain for fourteen days. It is to be noted in this case that Samuel was a native of the "Reichsland," to which Germany does not admit that our naturalization treaties apply. Further, the usually unfavorable circumstances were presented of emigration nearly at the military age and return almost immediately after naturalization, just when the men about of his own age were performing their military duty, thus not improbably causing dissatisfaction among them. I have, etc.. H. PERCIVAL DODGE. MILITARY SERVICE CASES OF RENE HUTTLER, EUGENE HERR, AND MEYER SCHWARTZ. Mr. White to Mr. Hay. No. 1987.J EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES, Berlin, June 30, 1902. SIR: Referring to the embassy's dispatch No. 1814 of December 31, 1901, I have the honor to append hereto a memorandum report of certain military cases, more particularly mentioned below, which have not been the subject of previous correspondence or which have been settled during the quarter ending to-day. There were no military cases to report for the quarter ending March 30 last. I am, etc., AND. D. WHITE. [Inclosure.] Military case report. At the instance of his attorney, Mr. Theo. Steeg, of Buffalo, N. Y., the embassy addressed a note (F. O., No. 1130) to the imperial foreign office on Maret 21, 1902, in support of the petition to be allowed to visit his former home, which had been sent to the Imperial Statthalter at Strasburg by one Rene (Renatus) Huttler, an American citizen of Alsatian origin. Under date of April 9 the foreign office replied that the desired permission had been granted as a result of the embassy's intervention. On March 8, 1902, the embassy learned through the United States consulate at Kiel, Baden, that Eugene Herr, an American citizen born in Wurttemberg, had been arrested on crossing the frontier at Deutsch-Avricourt and had been transferred to a prison at Lörchingen, in Lorraine, on account of his evasion of military service, and intervention (F. O., No. 1123) was at once made in his behalf. A few days later, March 11, the embassy was informed that Herr had been released after depositing 400 marks as security for the payment of a military fine, and it at once renewed its intervention (F. O., No. 1124) in his behalf. So far as the embassy is aware, Herr was not molested again, and under date of April 28 the foreign office intimated to the embassy that the Wurttemberg authorities were ready to return the money in question upon Herr's submitting an authenticated copy of the certificate of his American naturalization, and stated that the local district attorney had been directed to communicate with the United States consul at Stuttgart in order to bring this about. At his own request the embassy addressed a note (F. O., No. 1153) to the foreign office on April 21, 1902, in support of a petition sent in by Meyer Schwartz, an American citizen of Alsatian origin, for permission to visit his father at Strasburg, and under date of June 9 it was informed by the foreign office that in view of this action the permission had been granted as desired. Mr. White to Mr. Hay. J. B. J. No. 2019.] EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: Referring to the embassy's dispatch No. 1987, of the 30th of June last, I have the honor to inform you that Eugene Herr subsequently presented to the Wurttemberg authorities a duly authenticated copy of the certificate of his American naturalization, and that on the 2d instant a communication from the foreign office was received in which it was stated that the attachment against Herr's property in Wurttemberg had been removed and the judgment against him quashed. The proper authorities had also been instructed to pay to the United States consulate at Stuttgart the fine of 400 marks which had been collected from Herr. I have, etc. AND. D. WHITE. MILITARY SERVICE CASES OF FERDINAND HERMAN GRENZER, HENRY HONEBEIN, GEORGE SOEHLKE, GUSTAV MEINCKE, AND GEORGE DICKMANN (DIECKMANN). Mr. White to Mr. Hay. No. 2090.] EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: Referring to the embassy's dispatch No. 1987, of June 30, 1902, I have the honor to append hereto a memorandum report of the military cases of Ferdinand Herman Grenzer, Henry Honebein, George Soehlke, Gustav Meincke, and George Dickmann (Dieckmann), and to be, etc., AND. D. WHITE. [Inclosure.] Ferdinand Herman Grenzer was born at St. Louis, Mo., in 1880, his father having emigrated from Germany and having become naturalized as an American citizen in 1876. In 1882 the father returned to Germany, where he has since continued to reside. Grenzer was brought to Germany by his father, as an infant, but he went back to the United States in 1894 and remained there until August, 1901, since which time he has been studying in Germany. Last spring he was asked by the local authorities in Prussia if he were willing to perform military service, and upon his saying that he was not, as he was an American citizen merely sojourning in Germany for his education, he was told that he must leave the country by the 1st of July. Grenzer's case was brought to the attention of the embassy by the consul at Breslau, and intervention was made in his behalf (F. O., No. 1138) on April 2, 1902, to the end that he might be allowed to finish his studies. He declared that it was his intention to return to the United States to reside within two years. No answer having been received in the meantime, intervention was renewed (F. O., No. 1198) on June 30. Under date of July 12 the foreign office informed the embassy that Grenzer would be permitted to remain for two years longer in order to finish his studies at Mittweida, Saxony. Henry Honebein was born in Germany, and emigrated when about 24 years old, after having performed military service, but with permission to be absent from the country for only two years. This leave he had prolonged twice, but he neglected doing so a third time, as he had in the meantime, in 1898, become naturalized as an American citizen. Last winter he returned on a visit to his former home in Prussia, and soon after his arrival he was called upon and eventually he was compelled to pay a fine for the technical offense of "emigration without permission." The case was brought to the embassy's attention by the consul at Bremen, and intervention (F. O., No. 1102) was made in Honebein's behalf on February 5, 1902. No answer being received (Honebein, however, having returned to the United States and not being subjected to any inconvenience), intervention was renewed on June 30. On August 20 the embassy was informed by the foreign office that the money which Honebein had been compelled to pay had been refunded to him through the consul at Bremen. George Soehlke emigrated to the United States when about 14 years old, and became naturalized, after a residence of about six years, in 1898. In June, 1902, he returned to Germany on a visit, and not long after his arrival at his former home in Prussia, he was told by the authorities that he must leave the country. He had already a ticket for the steamer sailing on August 23 in his possession, but the authorities said that he must leave before that date. At the steamship office, however, he was not able to exchange his ticket. Upon his case being brought to the embassy's attention by the consul at Bremen, intervention was made in his behalf (F. O., Ño. 1211), on July 20, and almost immediately thereafter the desired permission for Soehlke to continue his sojourn in Prussia was given. Gustav Meincke emigrated to the United States after having obtained his release from Prussian allegiance, and became naturalized as an American citizen in New York, in 1892. He came back to Germany last summer for the purpose of undergoing a surgical operation. In August Meincke's wife informed the embassy that the Prussian authorities had ordered him to leave the country by the 15th of that month. Intervention was at once made (F. O., No. 1232), on the 9th, and under date of September 10, Meincke not having been molested in the meantime, the foreign office informed the embassy that he would be permitted to remain in Prussia until October 1, as desired. George Dickmann (Dieckmann) was born in Germany and emigrated to the United States after having obtained his release from Prussian allegiance in 1886, duly becom ing naturalized as an American citizen in 1894. In the summer of the current year he returned to Germany on a visit, and soon after arriving at his former home he was informed that he would not be allowed to remain longer than August 10. He then applied for permission to remain until September 20, as he had a steamer ticket for himself and his family good for that date, which he found he was unable to exchange. On being told that he must leave as ordered, he appealed to the consul at Bremen, who informed the embassy of the facts in the case. Intervention was made (F. Ó., No. 1229) in Dickmann's behalf on August 8, and renewed (F. O., No. 1261) on September 15. Under date of September 15, in a note which was received on the following day, the foreign office notified the embassy that permission had been granted Dickman to remain in Prussia till September 20, as requested. J. B. J. GREAT BRITAIN. PRISONERS OF WAR, AMERICAN CITIZENS, HELD IN BRITISH No. 468.] COLONIES. Mr. Hay to Mr. Choate. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, October 16, 1900. SIR: The Department is advised by the United States consul at Colombo, Ceylon, that a number of prisoners captured by the British troops in South Africa have been deported to an encampment at Diyatalawa, in that island, among them 22 men claiming American citizenship. As the consul was denied access to these men, I am without confirmation of their alleged American status, but the report is so circumstantial that it is due to ascertain the facts, if possible, and I have therefore to instruct you to ask an early inquiry into the truth of the statement. If it be confirmed, the Government of the United States could not view without concern the risk of life and health involved in sending any unacclimated American citizens, taken under the circumstances described, to so notoriously insalubrious a place as the island of Ceylon. The principles of public law which exclude all rigor or severity in the treatment of prisoners of war beyond what may be needful to their safety imply their nonsubjection to avoidable danger from any cause. These admitted principles have found conventional expression in treaties, as in article 24 of the treaties of 1785 and 1799 between the United States and Prussia, and the enlightened practice therein specified to be followed with respect to the custody of prisoners of war is believed to represent the general view of modern nations, as it certainly does the sentiment of humanity and the law of nature on which it claims to rest. If it prove that citizens of the United States, captured while temporarily serving in the armies of the South African Republic and the Orange Free State, have in fact been transported to distant and noxious places, you will represent the expectation of this Government that they be at once removed to some more healthful station, if indeed the situation at this time shall not permit their discharge, freely or on parole. The number of these Americans who have taken temporary service under another flag is represented to be small. I am, etc., No. 469.] JOHN HAY. Mr. Hay to Mr. Choate. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: In connection with my instruction of even date concerning the reported imprisonment of some 22 American citizens as prisoners of |