St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-04-21
TO A FRENCH CELL.
Ex-Consul Waller, Sentenced
in Madagascar, Has Been
Transported.
HE LANDS AT MARSEILLES.
Sentenced to Twenty Years
ON Charges of Being a
Spy.
BIG CLAIM FOR INDEMNITY.
Washington Authorities Will
See the Case Thoroughly
Investigated.
He LANDS AT MARSEILLES.
BIG CLAIM FOR INDEMNITY.

WASHINGTON, April 20.-A tele-
gram from Marseilles says: THE
steamship Djemmah, from the island
of Madagascar, has arrived here,
having on board John L. Waller,
formerly United States consul at
Tamatave, who, as exclusively an
nounced by the Associated Press at
the time, was recently tried by
court martial and sentenced to
twenty years imprisonment on the
charge of having been spy in the
interest of the Hovas."
While this action on the part of
the French in removing eX-ConSul
Waller from Madagascar to France
will only add to the
AMOUNT OF INDEMNITY
1t will be called upon to pay, should
Mr.. Walters friends show that the
charge upon which he was sentenced
is baseleSs, it will still facilitate the
efforts of the department of state
to fully develop the facts in the case,
as it can now communicate directly
with United States Ambassador
Eustis, instead of being obliged to
adopt the tedious course of acting
through an inferior consular officer
in Madagascar, out of reach by
cable communication. Mr.. Eustis
has been instructed to pursue the
matter to the end and make a most
fhnTnnCh ina intn L.
gality under treaty stipulations of
the trial of a citizen of a friendly
nation by court martial instead of
by the regular civil tribunals, as is
customary and perhaps absolutely
essential. Moreover, the case may
involve the right of France to eX-
ercise jurisdiction over the internal
affairs of Madagascar, from which
she appears to have been expressly
excluded by the treaty of 1885,
which gave her only Jurisdiction
ever the foreign relations of NADIA
Eascar.
The, Washington friends of Mr..
Waller are bringing all the rnfIu-
ence possible to bear in his behalf
"A
other prominent men who have dis
played an interest in the case is
Senator VooheeS, who has had one
or two interviews with Secretary
Gresham, and has presented to him
IN strong light the Importance as
we'll as the propriety of the United
States investigating the question of
Wo1lnr'c
the secretary, Senator Voorhees,
said he had found Mr. Gresham
quite as much interested in the case
as he was, and disposed to have it
PROBED TO THE BOTTOM.
The secretary stated that he had AL
ready placed in the possession of
Ambassador Eustas all the facts that
mad come to his knowledge, and he
had given him instructions to thor
oughly investigate the case. There
can be no doubt that the Waller in
cldent will prove to be one of the
most difficult that this administra-
ton has had to contend with in it's
treatment of foreign affairs, and that
this fact is fully realized here. The
principles involved are of the most
Importance, and should the state
ments of Walters friends be we'll
founded, the government of the
United States under no circum-
stances can admit the correctness of
the action of the French officials
without thereby admitting it's indis-
position or inability to protect our
citizens in foreign countries from op-
preston and ill-treatment. An inter
esting question which has arisen at
this stage is what has become of Mr..
Walters concession. He had an
ABSOLUTE GRANT
of about two hundred miles of most
valuable lands in Madagascar,
Astounding in rubber trees and other
tropical products which he had par
TALLY arranged to market 1t is we'll
known here that every effort had
been made to dispossess him by other
holders of concessions who desired
to seize upon these lands. But, so
far as the facts are known Mr.. Wal
Ter obtained this concession in per-
fectly legitimate manner and his title
must be protected.
Our government has uniformly
held, notably in cases arising in
Central America, that an American
citizen cannot be dispossessed of a
concession so long as he complies
with its terms, by any revolution in
the government where it may be
situated. The rule of international
law is clear as to the preservation
of the individuals title in such
cases, and having laid down this
doctrine in our relations with the
weaker nations of this continent,
the state department can scarcely
do less than maintain it as against
France. The information reaching
Washington gives the details of the
charge under which Waller was con-
victed as spy. The French SOL
diers had determined to make
descent on one of the large Hovas
towns. 1t was to be a night at
tack, and was intended to be a de-
cisive stroke. The arrangements
for the move were guarded with the
utmost secrecy. In some way, how
ever, Waller learned of the French
movement, and is said to have con-
veyed full information to the Hexas.
The latter quickly armed the threat
tned town, SO that when the French