The evening times., 1895-11-21
NO INDEMNITY FOR WALLER.
Diplomats Do Not Believe France
Will Pay One Cent.
General Impression Lis That His Re
lease wnl Only BE Secured as an
Act OF GraciousM.ss-

While tue State Department refuses to
furnish any information regarding the
matter, the impression exists here that
the French Government has notified Am
bassador Eustis at Paris that it viii
not furnish n copy of the record of the
court-martial proceedings against cx Consul
Waller, as n ma tier of right
Mr.. Waller's counsel, Mr.. CrammOng
Kennedy, Of this city, believes, however.
that the record will be furnished to Am
bassador Eustis If requested as mat
ter Of courtesy.
It is not improbable that Mr.. Waller
will be notified by the State Department
that the Frcnch Government Will release
him from custody as a matter of grace
il this Government viii waive the qYes-
ton of indemnity. So far, apparently, he
is in ignorance of this fact.
Mrs. Waller strcuuously insists upon a
payment OF damages in compensation Tor
his Imprisonment, but II is not unlikely
that tue whole matter will be referred
to the ex-consul to decide for himself.
Should lie prefer to remain in prison upon
the chance of obtaining the indemnity,
the State Department and his counsel will
do the best possible for him under the cir
cumstauces.
Speaking OF Tie other side of the case,
diplomat said last evening that the French
lad been rather unJustly represented in
America.
Nv alIer," he said, "arrived in NADIA
gascar in 1885. Although the French
had possession of affairs through their
protcctoratc, lie did not hold any COM
munication with them, but addressed hin-
self entirely To the Queen. This was dis
courteous to the protectorate, to put 1t
very mildly.
.He invested his money on the island
against the advice of men well informed
OF the yacillating state Of the govern
mcnt. in view OF their pending troubles
with France. Throughout his term Of
Office lie was openly friendly 10 the Queen
and oppcsiteIy disposed to the protector
ate.
"But what led TO the arrest and i'm
prisopment of Waller was that after hos
tilitics had commenced and martial law
had been declared, packet of his letters
was seized addressed 10 the Madagascar
minister, and they were found TO contain
minute descriptions OF the position OF
She French army. synopsis of their future
plans. and great ceal OF information
that was damaging to the French. and OF
great value to the Madagascar govern
ment
Now. everyone knows what martial law
Is. Waller WAS arrested and sent TO France.
The wonder is he was not shot, and III the
opinion of European diplomats, he has
ESCAPED very easily, and ii is all bluff TO
talk about the French government paying
an Indemnity for his imprisonment.
The French government would undoubt-
edly release him, If they were officially
requested To do so, but demand Tor an
Indemnity viii never he considered.
"The American government looks on all
breaches of diplomacy with the utmost
severity and in all cases where foreigners
have intcrfcred in their domestic affairs
they have not handled the offenders with
kid gloves.
They are therefore acting with unpar-
donablc Inconsistency to champion Waller,
IN view of his ofrense. When the entire case
becomes known, as II soon will b., through
diplomatic correspondence. the whole world
will concur in this opinion"