New-York tribune., 1885-02-17
TREATY RIGHTS IGNOR ED.
AN AMERICAN CITIZENS WRONGS.

ATTEMPT TO DRAG A RESIDENT or NEw-YoRK INTO
THE AUSTRIAN ARMY-REPARATIoN REQUIRED.
To the Edttor Of The Trtbune.
SIR: | wish through the columns of TIE
TRIBUNE to call the OF tho American people to
gross outrage which has been perpetrated by the
Austrian Government and which seems TO demand some
energetic action tho part OF the United states Govern
mcnt to secure reparaOn for the wrong done him. ana
protection for other naturazed citizens who may visit
Austria like moesaton and infringement OF rights
soeInnly guaranteed by treaty Louis fienknopf
resident of NewYork CITY, is now In this place and has
only Just released from and confinement as
military subject OF Austria through the active interven
ton OF the Hon. John a Francis. tho American
Minister Vienna Flenknopf was born here in 1860
and before he had attained the Of seventeen years he
went the United states. lie naturalizcd on April
3, ls-2 by tho United states District Court for the
Southern District OF Ohio. AftorwaTd he removed to
New-York City, where he az present has bis resi-
dcuce. The appeals of an aged mother Induced hin
to vlst Crlc0w and he arrived here October 20 1854
Within three he ordered 10 report for duty In
the Austrian army, to which II claimed he owed
military service. Fiensnopt protested am eShDit'd
his papers of naturalization. Notwithstanding this eVl
dence Of citizenship. and the fact that ho had
cngratcd before he seventeen years old. which Is
sufficient under the treaty between the United states
and Ausiria OF 1870 10 exempt him from every claim
the Austrian Government could have upon him. the
authorities declared that he st owed military service
TO the Imperial Government In this dilemma. frnknopf
appealed to the American Minister at Vienna who. am
happy say did not turn DEAF ear TO his application
iOr protection.
with the Austrian Foreign Onice. erhlbvns
the proofs OF F.nknopfs American citizenship
and calling attention TO the treaty supula
tlous which govern In the case. and demanded the
abrogltlon 81 all claims upon Ficnkn0pf and the ac'
acknowledgement Of hi. right American citizen 10
.ft..tt rhuuf flu
country so long hc violated none of It's laws Various
letters posed between Mr Francis and
the Fofc,sn Oicc, AMI ho had several
interviews with tho Plin" Minister anl
lie secretaries Mr.. Francis told that tho Foreign
Inls,ry regarded the notification to fienknopf by the
military authorities ~ Crtcox as uuwarrdnt1ble ahd
fcpfchc1-ibc and hc promised that the man shoild
Ice speedily accorded his rgAts But this promise
vas not kept. Tacrc was delay ana he'
t,,ou at the Foreign Onlce In Vienna,
and a,aon, the military authorities in CracoS
there WAS d.tern.ncd cr,r mtle 70 grt
T,uanopf into the military service. spies were
.ct upon his track. aul naAly b was o1h-'l
To dee from Cracow H. mother rcuain~l b"nd, AMI
his little plirlnpny required 20 DE s"I nP before ne
oi carry o.t l, iutcAuln II taking h'r AMI his sister
b,ck with hlm 10 America Weeks rolled around, brt
with all OF Mr. Friucis's best Efforts, assiiance for
Ti,ukuo;i came from the Foreign icc. ON January
he cain appeared a Cracpv ard on tie next DAY lie Nh'
arrested AID thrown into the military barracks. HI'
mother t,cgrlpIcd th" news - Mt IFtu'ih VA" htH'
both verbal AMI written demand upon ih' Foreign o.
flee for te unconditional release Of to prisoner Tie
Foreign oncc seemed to wake up slightly To the sit
u,ton aud directed the Crac"w authorities BY telegraph
10 grant F.cnkuOp! fHrloush Even tho execution oi
th, orlcr was delayed Oy the miiK'ry authorities ~
CracoY and three or four days passed before tie
man was awarded his liberty to this
extent Mr Francis continued To- press the
cs.c before the Austrian Ministry. anl demanded
that thi. uuu-H,be treatment Oi an American citizen
should cease and hc be- given certificate Of nll cHemp
ton from military service 20 the Empire. His efforts
were eventually successful! aud on January 30 the
FOREIGN once s.ucl order setting Fcuknopf at lib
rrv md disayowiug all claim upon him for service In
mo Austrian army With Minister AZ Vienna !cs- per-
,i,cnt than Nr. Francis IN uph"lding the nights OF
American oitlcnship, Fcnknopf would to-day
DE compelled to do enforced service 10 the army mere or
be- langusng In the barrack, awaiting lIa FOR dcsrr
tion upon some other false charge %t'h c hiilA)
auhurlt!cs of Crscow know only 20, wei no" 20
for the mOlcsaon OF n'tuf"Ied american oIiAehs Mo
happen to visit the lace-o'peciay should snch ctt"S
chance To be. the case the victims OF that anu
scmctc prejudice which iinds marked expression mere III
Cracow. , ~.
adopted measures TO prescnt these ourdge' upon
American citizens in the Grrmauc countries Of Europe
! make a just claim the Austrian Government for
ample cParalon in the way of d"mnges Tor the dePrVa
! ton OF his liberty, and the wrong, the outrage
the apprehension Inflicted upon hin For three months
he was subjected To the treatment here enumerated
and 10 gnity insult and blacka from the spies aud
detectives of CraoOw. An English official IN Athens was
recently struck by Greek Ge" dape; an American IN
Austria has been hunted Ike wild beast by military OF
ncal- arrested confined in barracks and threatened with
the mpG.On OF twelve years service III the army! Ino
| world has seen how England exacted rcpara-
| tion from the Greek Government FOR h an
| insult to OF her petty officials, though
| the cxactiou shameful to Enghhu
than humiating to Grace VIII It ever see the Ameri-
can Government rise the dignity Of asserting IT'S
and protecting Its citizens In the most sacred o
fights In foreign countrcs r Francis performed his duty
n the faithful and earnest manner. and deserves
| the commendation OF his counrymen. No DOUBT no
could tell OF other outrases Inflicted upon American
citizens by the Austrian authorities especially those OF
Cracow for such things are happening quite frequently
In tho OF American citizenship ask the American
Government TO put All end 10 them.
Crdcou, Austria, Feb 2, 1889.