The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-21
SENT FROM MADAGASCAR
Tried as a Spy and Sentenced
to Twenty Years I'M
priSOnment.
FRANCE TO BE CALLED DOWN.
Friends of the Ex-Consul Will Cause
Thorough Investigation
of the Case.

MARSEILLES, FRANCE, April 2O.-The
steamship Djemmah, from the island of
Madagascar, has arrived here, having on
board John L. Waller, formerly United
States Consul at Tamatave, who was re-
Gently tried by court-martial and sem
fenced to twenty years imprisonment on
the charge of having been a spy in the in
terest of the Hovas.
WASHINGTON, D. c., April 20.-While
the action of the French Government will
only add to the amount of indemnity it
will be called upon to pay, should Mr..
Walters friends show the charge
upon which he was sentenced is
baseless, it will still facilitate
the efforts of the State Department to
fully develop the facts in the case, as it
can now communicate directly with
United States ambassador Eustis in
stead of being obliged to accept the
tedious course of acting through an in
ferior consular office in Madagascar, out of
reach by cable communication.
Mr.. Eustis has been instructed to pursue
the matter to an end and make a most
thorough examination of all the facts at
tending the punishment of this American
citizen. He will also make a special ex-
animation into the legality under treaty
stipulations of that trial of citizen of
friendly nation by court-martial instead
of by the regular civil tribunals.
Moreover, the case involves the light
of France to exercise jurisdiction over the
internal affairs of Madagascar, from which
she appears to have been expressly ex-
Guided by the treaty of 1885.
The Washington friends of Mr. Waller
are bringing all the influence possible to
bear in his behalf upon the State Depart
ment. Among other prominent men who
have displayed an interest in the case
is Senator Voorhees,, who has had one
or two interviews with Secretary Gresham
and has presented to him in a strong light
the importance as well as the propriety of
the United States investigating fthe
question OF Weller's treatment. After hav-
ing seen the Secretary, Senator Voorhees,
said he found the Secretary quite as much
interested in the case as he was, and
proposed to have it probed to the bottom.
The Secretary said he had already placed
in the hands of ambassador Eustis at
Paris all the facts that had come to his
knowledge, and had given him instruc-
tons to thoroughly investigate the case.
There can be no doubt that the Waller
incident will be one of the most difficult
that this administration has had to con-
tend with in its treatment of foreign
affairs and that fact is fully realized
here. The principles involved are
of the utmost importance, and
should the statements of Walters
friends be well founded the Government
of the United States under no circum-
stances can admit the correctness of
French officials without thereby admitting
its indisposition or inability to protect our
citizens in foreign countries from oppres-
sion and i'll treatment.
The information reaching Washington
giues the details of the charge under which
Waller was convicted as a spy. The
French soldiers had determined to make
descent on one of the large Hova towns.
1t was to be a night attack and was in
tended to be a decisive stroke. The ar
rangements for the movement were
guarded with the utmost secrecy. In some
way, however, Waller learned of the
movement and is said to have conveyed
full information to the Hovas. The latter
QuACA4y dIHieu the Threatened Town, so
that when the French soldiers appeared
they were met by an effective resistance.
Instead of taking the place by surprise,
they found every one alert to the attack.
The alleged treaehery was closely inves-
tigated and it was claimed traced to Wal
Ter. Aside from the chagrin to which the
French forces were put by having their
plans miscarry it is said to have seriously
delayed the progress of the French expe-
dition in Madagascar.
The French ambassador at Washington
has not yet been informed of the Waller
proceedings. Mr.. Gresham is dealing with
the French Minister of Foreign Affairs
through our Minister at Paris.