Norwich bulletin., 1915-02-04

Washington, Feb. 3-F7orTnal appii- 1 cation for the extradition to Canada or Werner Van Horn, charged with attempted destruction of human Iife''
 was made at the state department to- day by Sir Cecil Spring Rice. the Brit ish ambassador.
 What Van Horn is Wanted For, The ambassador called personally at the department and presented a brief note to Secretary Bryan based upon a communication from the Canadian
 minister of justice at Ottawa inform Ing the embassy that Van Horn was wanted on the charge of attempting to destroy human life, through the wiIful and unlawful destruction of the St, Croix river bridge.
 Seo'y Bryan Refers Communication. Secretary Bryan referred the com munlcation to the solicitor of the de- partment for examination as to it's form. If the application is found to be regular, Van Horn will be ordered be- fore United States commissioner nearest to Fanceboro, where he is now under detention. and the Canadian au- thoritles will be allowed the privilege 1 or appearing by counsel to make out a 1 prima facie case sufficient to justify l the demand for the surrender of the 1 prisoner.
 Preliminary Legal Phases. The machinery in such cases, up to a certain point, works almost automat- IcaIIy. and there will be little for the state department to do involving the ] exercise of any discretion until the commissioner has passed upon the l case. Should he decide that there is 1 no case against Van Horn, the pris- oner may be. discharged without fur ! theT proceedings. If he holds tbs. man
 for extradition, then it is competent for ] Van Horn or his friends to take an ap- i peal to the state department and re- slSt the execution of the commission l CTS order. It is even possible in ex- l treme cases for the United States courts to be invoked in the prisoners ] behalf, though this is a rare occur l renee.
 i Van Horn to Fight Extradision. l Van Horn already has indicated his i purpose of fighting extradition. Tn a Ietegram today he appealed to the , German ambassador to look after his ! interests. declaring he was a German subject and did not put foot on Cana ! dian Soil.'
 i The last statement was taken here l to indicate purpose on the part of the prisoner to make the technical point that though he was on the bridge he i did not actually stand on Canadian soil As the divisional line or boun- ] diary between the United States and ] Canada follows the middle line of the l St. CrotE river, and the piers of the | bridge rest on Canadian soil at the 1 end where Van Horn is said tO have | placed his charge of dynamite. the of- hcIals here attach no importance to | this plea.
 | German Embassy Much interested. 1 The German embassy was much in- l terested in the case, but delayed pass- ] ing upon. Van Horns request pending a report on his citizenship from the
 German consul neral in New York 1 State Department Officials Retieent. l Officials Of the state department al
 tAls stage positively decline to express any opinion publicly in regard to the i sunlciency of Van Horns contentious i that his offense was political" that ii was an act of war directed against his l country'S enemy, and that his inten- l tion was to prevent the continued ! transportation across this bridge ot i troops and munitions of war going tr 1 Europe to be used against Germany It was pointed out, however that ir | order to prove his act was an act ot ] war Van Horn must produce evidence l that he was acting under higher au- 1 thOrity and by direct orders. The aci of an individual on his own responsi- | blilty usually is not accounted an act 1 of war. On the other hand, if the 1 prisoner should produce evidence te l plicit direction and authority of the 1 German government, it is said q viola 1 ton of the neutrality of the United 1 States by Germany might be involved Ordinary Civil Criminal. 1 The Canadian government in makins l it's application referred to the man a.
 | an ordinary civil criminal. Incidental. 1 Horn, in the event of his surrender un.
 1 der eXtradition proceedings. from be
 1 ing treated as a. German spy or ever
 as a military prisoner.