The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1911-02-03
NO DISGRACE IN
PRISON FOR THEM
Convicted Spies in Peace Times
Treated cOurteOusIy by
Their Captors.

Considerable curiosity has been mani
Tested with regard to the punishment
inflicted the other day by the supreme
court Of Germany, at Leipsic, upon the
two English officers, one of the navy
and one of the marines, captured in
the act of photographing the new and
secret defensive works at Borkum, on
the North Sea, writes Ex-Attache in
the Pittsburg Dispatch, They were
condemned to foIr years imprisonment
in fortress; and, inasmuch as con-
gress is now being asked to enact legis-
lation empowering the government to
deal with the cases of Japanese officers
caught while spying upon the new de-
! fenses at Manila and elsewhere in the
Philippine Islands, in Hawaii, along
the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and the
projected Notifications of the Panama
Canal, it may be timely to give here
few brief notes of explanation as to
the penalty provided by the military
powers of continental Europe for these
forms of espionage.
Imprisonment in fortress entails no
disgrace whatsoever, no matter wheth-
er inflicted upon a native or upon n
foreign officer. 1t does not entail the
forfeiture of his commission, and is
imposed not only for certain forms of
espionage, but also for violation of the
national laws against dueling.
A Case in Point.
Thus Baron Won Kiderlen- Waechter,
now secretary for foreign affairs of the
! German empire, while stationed as the
Kaiser Is envoy at Copenhagen, was
called upon to serve term of six
months imprisonment in the. fortress
| of Ehrenbreitstein, on the Rhine, for
having fought duel, and wounded the
editor of the Berlin comic paper, Klat-
teradatsch, who had charged him with
| fostering bad blood between Emperor
/ William and old Prince Bismarck. The
baron wounded his adversary, and al
though not soldier by profession, was
nevertheless indicted, and condemned
for violation of the statutes against
dueling. The German government did
not consider it necessary to relieve
him from his post of its representative
in Denmark. He merely went on leave
of absence, entr1sting his duties to a
charge d'affairs, and before his de-
i parture explained matters to the late
King Christian, who thoroughly appre-
ciated the situation, realizing that
while it was necessary for Kiderlen-
| Waeehter to undergo some semblance
of a punishment for the violation of
the laws of the land in Germany, he
! would have been unable to retain his
I position in the Kaiser's diplomatic
service, OF to remain in the role of Ger
man minister plenipotentiary at Copen-
hagen, had he failed to comply with
the unwritten laws of honor, which re-
auired that he should meet in single
combat the editor who had maligned
him. After the baron had served three
months, the remainder of his penalty
/. was RENTED by Emperor William, and
he resumed his position as German en-
voy at the court of the late King
Christian, just as if nothing had hap,
pened.
u During the baron IS captivity in En-
renbreitstein, he was treated by the
officers of the fortress not as pris-
oner, but as an envoy on leave of alb
senee. He was attended by his own
J servants, took his meals as a general
rule either with the governor, or with
the mess of the officers, and was per
mitted full liberty to roam, not only
over all the precincts of the fortress,
but also over the surrounding country,
to accept invitations to the various
country houses of the district, and to
join shooting parties organized in his
honor. All that was required of him
was that he should keep the governor
of the fortress notified of his move
ments, and that he should give his
word not to leave the province.
Scores of names of other diplomats,
court dignitaTies and officers Of the
army who have been subjected TO
penalties similar to that on Baron
Kiderlen- Waechter for infraetion of
the national laws against dueling
could be mentioned, including that of
Prince Philip Gutenberg, whose six
months Imprisonment at Ehrenbreit-
, stein as a cavalry subaltern, for cut
ting down and killing the late Duke Of
Edinburgh's French chef, who had in
adyertently jostled him OFF the pave
meat In tho streets d Bonn, did pot
prevent him from subsequently tlling
! the Offices OF prlasian minister at MI
: nieh, aud ambassador Of Germany "a
the court Of vienna.
! can also recall the case 0f q very
|, gifted and brilliant onirer 0f Austrian
, eagairy, who, while serving on tho Ca
lieian frontier, lAhde himself 20 agree
able ihaf b. Rae u great dfmand NJ
y a aulft a tHa Vaflaua fhatnauE. And